Of Doves and Ravens
by xXCrownofChaosXx
Summary: "My perfect world came crumbling down the night he left, now my world is turned upside down once he returned. I guess they weren't lying when they said that fate can be cruel but one thing is certain. I won't let this opportunity slip away again. I will help him succeed and take revenge..." The story is better than the introduction. Cover by Propto on Deviantart.
1. Chapter 1

**Of Ravens & Moonlight**

**Chapter 1: Old Endings...**

* * *

**Entry 1**

**_I never thought that it would come to this... I gave up! I lost you and to that thing no less. I should've stopped you from leaving or at least left with you. It's not fair that you just decided to run off as you did. It's frustrating but, for some reason, I'm not mad at you. I'm angry with myself. I'm ashamed to call myself your friend and yet, it's the only thing that brings me solace nowadays. Waking up knowing that you aren't around just makes me sick to my stomach and still, it hurts, even more, knowing that I cannot fully express how that makes me feel. I know your heart is with her but, I just want to say that she doesn't deserve to hold it. I wish I could tell you these things to your face, but, that'll have to wait until I see you again... IF I ever see you again...  
_**

"Patterson, wake your ass up and pack your stuff!"

"..."

"Patterson, if you don't get your lazy ass up, I'll have you thrown into the hole!"

A low growl bounced off of the walls of a jail cell as a young African-American man struggled to pull himself from the 'comfort' of his bunk. Rubbing his eyes, he noticed two officers were standing inside the cell with impatient scowls on their faces.

"Good, you're finally awake." the first officer spoke up. "Now pack up your shit, and come with us."

Liam Patterson packed up what belonged to him and without another word, walked out of the cramped room, he called home for the past year and a half. Walking past the cells of the other men, he went along with the standard procedure upon stepping out of the larger room. Being handcuffed and escorted was nothing new to him at this point, but a measure of curiosity gnawed at him. He didn't understand where he was being taken to. The last time he was escorted by the police, it was after he was sentenced to a minimum of 3 years for crimes committed as a Blacklist member.

"What's going on?" his voice had deepened a little since being incarcerated and his facial hair grew into a full beard. His hair had grown considerably long but he still managed to keep his trademark high up ponytail. He also wound up gaining about 40 pounds of muscle bringing his weight to 220 pounds. On his right arm was a tattoo sleeve that resembled yakuza but one thing that stood out was the wolf in the middle of it. During his time is Rockport State Prison, Liam Patterson had managed to survive on the crappy food and horrible conditions. It was nothing to get through physical pain, as evidence of the scars from being shot over three years ago. As he walked down the long hallway that led to the processing area, he thought back to that day.

The day led to his life going down the drain...

* * *

**Flashback- 3 Years ago**

Liam parked his car under the bridge that covered a small portion of the pier and just stared out at the pouring rain. It was perfect considering he was truly heartbroken and a few tears fell as a result. He decided that some fresh air was necessary, and pulling up his hood, he finally stepped outside and just started walking to nowhere in particular. Not caring about getting soaked, he trudged along the sidewalk path until he wound up on the far end of the boardwalk where the booths and food stands that were normally active, stood quiet and dim. With every passing second, he could feel the weight of his past weighing heavier on his mind and heart.

"I can't believe this..." he muttered while leaning against the railing. "...how did this happen?"

"How, indeed..."

Turning around quickly, Liam stood face to face to two unknown gunmen. While he was unable to discern their identities, he could clearly tell that one of them was a woman by the size of her figure. The dark atmosphere grew even darker when the clicking sound of both guns triggered him to put his hands up. The wind howled with a vengeance as the crash of thunder echoed.

"Who are you-?"

Both figures smirked as they fired a shot each that hit him square in the chest sending him over the rail into the raging ocean. After checking and confirming that Liam was indeed swept away by the aggressive waves, the male pulled out a cell phone.

"Hello?" the voice answered.

"It's done... #14 is officially taken out..."

"Good work, Baron. You and Kaze may now claim your prize."

Sharing wicked grins, Baron gave his partner the good news in which she allowed a similar smirk to rest on her lips. They both took one last look at the crashing waves before leaving the area. Meanwhile, unknown to them, Travis had barely managed to hold on to one of the posts with his left arm. He was able to catch the names of the two who had tried to end his life just then. Gritting his teeth, he vowed vengeance against them as another strong wave hit him square in the face causing to sputter a bit.

"Dammit.." he coughed out as he felt his grip slipping. "...I can't die here. I won't die here."

Liam knew that with only one arm usable, he couldn't swim very well but it was either attempt it or stay where he was and wait to die from the blood loss if he didn't drown first. Timing the chaotic waves, he took a deep breath and dove under the water just before tide rushed in again and used the current to carry himself back to shore. Once he pushed far enough out to the shore, Liam painfully began to pull himself with his good arm until the exhaustion and intense pain caused him to pass out. He awoke to find himself in a hospital bed with an IV in one arm and handcuffs on the other. Needless to say, he was immediately processed, tried, and convicted within the span of a couple of months and was transferred to Rockport state prison.

Now here he was sitting on a bench in the changing room dressed in the clothes he wore before his incarceration awaiting the officer to come back. Despite all that had happened, there was something or rather someone on his mind that had the most impact on him.

"Trina..." he whispered to himself; allowing a sad grin to appear on his face. As his mind began to fill with thoughts of the young woman he had fallen in love with. There wasn't a day that went by that Trina Vega didn't cross his mind. He would lay in his bunk and wondering if she was alright. He knew that things were still left unresolved between the two before the series of events that transpired and his first mission was to fix that. By the time he managed to get a handle on his feelings, he found himself sitting on a bus and leaving the "rehabilitation" facility and heading back to the city.

The city that held nothing but guilt and regrets in his heart...

* * *

_What a life... _

After what felt like ages, Rashad finally arrived back in the city. Stepping down from the bus, he surveyed his surroundings and took note of the graffiti-covered walls as he made his way down the street to Rosewood. He clutched his bag as multiple thoughts filled his head.

Would Trina forgive him?

What about the others?

How was he going to explain all that had happened to him?

Liam gritted his teeth as a stray tear ran down his face. His emerald eyes welled up and he choked back the sob that fought to break free. He couldn't allow himself to succumb to his woes Still, he pressed on down a busy street just as the sun began to disappear over the horizon. As the sun lowered; increasing his shadow, he could somehow feel the weight of his choices getting heavier with each step. His mind was swarming with thoughts, his body was wrecked from the inside out and his soul was empty.

"Hey!" Hearing the voice, Liam managed to break out of his pity party and noticed a grey Ford Mustang Shelby slowly pulling up next to him. He watched as the tinted window on the passenger's side went down revealing a familiar smirk he hadn't seen in a while. "Get in.." Before he knew it, the two were riding past Camden Beach heading into the quiet town of Rosewood. For the most part, the drive was uneventful, to say the least as neither of the two uttered a word. "I can't believe it's you... It's been a while, hasn't it?"

The silence was all he received from his once vibrant male; in his place was a nearly mute and docile stranger.

"Listen, I know you're upset, but you can't go around beating yourself up about this. I know you hold yourself responsible for what happened to..."

"Please, bro. Not right now..." Liam responded as he finally looked into his friend's eyes for the first time since seeing him again. "I can't handle hearing her name again. It was my fault for not telling her about my past; my fault for not making things right when I had the chance... I have nobody to blame but myself for whatever happened to her..."

Without warning, the car slammed to a screeching halt causing his younger brother to jerk forward. Thankfully, his seat belt secured him in place but due to his height, he still hit his head against the dashboard. "Ow... son of a-!"

"Get out," the cold tone took Liam by surprise as his ally exited the vehicle, then, following suit himself shortly thereafter.

Once outside, a still sore Liam surveyed his surroundings seeing just a few orange tinted clouds hovering over the setting sun. His emerald orbs took in his environment and immediately he knew where he was. "Why did you stop here?!" he yelled out of desperation as they both stood in front of the very garage that he and his estranged ex-girlfriend once shared.

But, instead of responding vocally, the older man instead responded with a solid right hook to the jaw knocking him square on his butt.

"What the fuck, Rashad?!" Liam rubbed his sore face, glaring at the dark gaze of his older brother.

"You know damn well why I did it..." he narrowed his brown eyes at the stunned adult. "...and I'll do it again."

"But, why'd you sucker punch me?"

"I've had it!" Rashad roared, shutting down any further protest from the sulking sibling. "I understand you're feeling angry with yourself about what happened between you and Trina but that is beside the point. Judging by those bullet wounds in your chest, you were lucky you weren't killed! Nevermind Trina, right now. What about your own life? What about your friends? Did you even consider how they feel thinking that you're still missing all of this time?! Do you know how destroyed we all were to hear that you were possibly dead?! But I guess since you've decided to be a deadbeat and forget all about those who care about you, maybe it's best that you leave since you've just given up on everything.."

Liam could only stare at the ground in shame as his blood brother's words pierced him deeper than any bullet ever could. Of course, he'd thought about Ryanna many times while incarcerated. He couldn't get her out of his mind and desperately wanted to see her but once again shame and guilt washed over him as he shook those thoughts out of his head.

"You don't understand. Trina doesn't want to see me... she is better off without me..."

Rage began to build in the young man's body but he patiently listened to the words of the broken boy before him.

"Ever since what happened back then, I've replayed that scenario thousands of times in my head. No one never knew the real reason we were always moving. You and I came here to have a new life and yet... I had never... I'd never been more scared in my life but she was worth it, Liam."

"You're still concerned about that night huh?"

"What are you talking about?"

Taking a deep breath, Rashad watched the pain turn to anger in the eyes of Liam.

"He was our dad..." Seeing how Rashad's expression hadn't changed, he interrupted.

"You give that beast too much credit, Liam..."

"He was a human being!" once more emerald orbs widened at the half slit lids of the eldest.

"HE WAS A MONSTER!" Rashad once again shut down any more protest from his brother. "After I was born, our mother left that demon due to the excessive amount of abuse she endured. It was around that time when she met another man, your dad, who actually treated her like she was worth something..." Looking up, Rashad noticed that Liam had steadily picked himself up and was now leaning against the hood of his car listening. "Well, that's where you came in. Despite us not having the same father's, I loved you and swore to protect you with my life. For the next few years, we were happy until my 'dad' decided to make an appearance... Somehow word got out that mom and your dad were married and he..."

"You don't have to-" Liam was again silenced, this time by a hand signaling the need for Rashad to continue.

Rashad then sighed softly, rubbed his temples, then proceeded to just stare at the ground before finally resuming. It wasn't a story that he enjoyed remembering, but it was necessary for his brother to be able to move forward in his life.

"One night, after my high school graduation, that man broke into the house and attacked our parents. When I got back home, he was standing over their bodies while stalking to you. The sight of our dead parents froze me where I stood as he finally noticed my presence... Finally, I managed to bum rush him and told you to run to her room and lock the door. I tried to fight that monster, but he overpowered me and nearly knocked me unconscious. It's not much that I really remember from that night except pulling him off of you and yelling for you to leave the house after seeing him leaving the bedroom. After that, I only remember hearing a gunshot before running out of the house with you and driving off. From that day, we were living city to city, until we came here."

There was a long silence that only served to increase the awkwardness between the two. Liam sighed figuring that he was going to be the one finally speak.

"So, does that mean...? I mean, what does that have to do with me exactly?"

"Well, after you disappeared, I managed to do something digging and found that there was a thorough investigation."

"And?"

"While there was a gun present at the scene, it turned out that it was fired by that man. Only his prints were on the gun..."

"So, I didn't take his life..." pools of green slowly increase in size at the revelation being told to him.

"Yep. Which means everything that happened between you and Trina was literally her blowing things out of proportion. Long story short, her actions were the catalyst for the events that happened to you after you left. I'm not blaming her, but I think it's clear that she's the last person you need to think about right now."

Liam exhaled roughly but nodded in agreement.

"Alright then. Well, we'll keep that between us until you're ready to tell her what happened. But for now, we got to get you cleaned up." Rashad extended his arms in order to help Liam to his feet. "No offense, but you're long overdue for a shave.. ugh.. and a shower too."

To his surprise and relief, Liam actually chuckled at the truth behind his eldest brother's words.

"Yeah, you've got a point there. It's been long overdue..."

Rashad held his nose and laughed while heading to his side of the car. "So let's get going and then I'll fill you in on what's been going on since you disappeared."

Once inside the Mustang, Liam couldn't help but look out at the setting sun wondering just what would await him once he arrived back in Rosewood. Seeing the various colors of the horizon, while normally calming to many, only brought a wave of uncertainty to his mind. He knew that in life, things changed, and that was the very thing that troubled him as he watched the familiar surroundings pass by.

Releasing a soft sigh, he finally turned his attention to Rashad whose eyes were firmly on the road. "Is there anything you can tell me before we get there?"

To his surprise, he chuckled in a way that brought a look of concern.

"You have no idea..." it was a dark, humorless laugh that Liam took as a bad omen. "The gang got separated shortly after you went missing... The majority of the Blacklist is taken over by their original members again and-"

"What happened to them? They couldn't have just given up their spot without a fight and I know that they're more than capable of handling those clowns!"

Liam could only shake his head with a soft sigh. "You're right... But, something happened that forced them to leave the city. After you disappeared, we were compromised. There was a raid and we were forced out of the city. Then, there's Jade..." The mere mention of his gothic friend caused a chill to run down Liam's spine.

"What happened to her...

"When the gang split up, Andre took her to Palmont city and that's where they are now."

This, however, did little to satisfy Liam's curiosity.

"What happened to Jade?

His entire being was disturbed at the outcome but at least his sister was safe. He knew of all people, Andre was probably the most trustworthy. He scoffed and grinned bitterly when the realization hit him. Even in spite of his 'calm' demeanor, Rashad could pick up the subtle tone of desperation. It was no secret that the two held a tight bond; maybe even as strong as the one Liam held once held with Trina. From the moment he first met the two they were always protective of one another. Jade, while rough around the edges, had displayed a softer side whenever it came to Liam unless someone was against him and it was clear to the older Patterson knew very well how far his little brother would go to keep her safe. "Listen..."

His weakened call broke the collected male's concentration as they entered the Rosewood Borough. "Liam, before I tell you anything, you have to swear that you won't fly off the handle." As he finished that statement, the siblings found themselves at the old garage. Liam couldn't make heads or tails of the feelings deep inside of him. He was a bundle of nerves and emotions. Liam could see this on his brother's face. "You have to swear you're not going to do something stupid..."

"Bro, just tell me-."

"Not until you swear to me, Liam!"

Brushing his locs out of his face, the former #14 Blacklist driver exhaled sharply. He refused to meet the driver's gaze, yet he could feel the intense look burrowing a hole in the side of his head. He knew he would do whatever it took to protect those he cared for. All of that time spent in prison allowed him enough clarity to figure that out. He would cross that forbidden line again... he did it once and, if required, he could and would do it again. He would kill to protect those he held dear.

"Get out of the car..." It was Rashad's turn to pull him out of his thoughts. "There's something you need to see."

Unable to do anything else, Liam complied as the two exited the vehicle letting the doors to the Ford Shelby Mustang slam shut.

Rashad and Liam Patterson stood in front of the latter's old home; the place he shared with Trina Vega. With a hard gaze at the building, he steeled his emotions as he forced himself to push back the moments of his past. When he was truly happy...

"What are we doing here?" he asked with a not so subtle growl in his tone.

Instead of responding to his question, the older brother simply began walking towards the garage. "I told you.. come with me."

"I'm not playing with you!" Liam roared with rage, expecting a hard hook again, only to find himself being ignored as his friend simply opened the door and entered the building. "Dammit..." he gritted his teeth as he did as he was told and followed behind the young man. The two entered the building to see it was, to no surprise, wrecked. Sure, the foundation of the building was more than stable, but the furniture was broken or just beyond dirty and in need of replacing. "What the hell happened here?" he asked out loud.

"They happened..." Rashad turned to find Liam staring in awe of the damaged garage/apartment. "Will you listen to everything I have to say?"

Despite his emotions raging, he took a deep breath and nodded.

"Alright. First off, Razor happened.." with the light hanging above him, you could clearly see the normally calm Liam show emotion. His face was twisted in a mix of anger and regret. "It happened a few months after you disappeared. We all met hear to try and comfort Trina when we were raided. Everyone except Jade who was pissed at her treatment of you. Not too long after, the cops busted in with guns drawn. They were shooting and yelling but fortunately, we all managed to get out with little to no injuries." Rashad then walked over to the small grate at the base of the concrete wall. Setting it to the side, he pulled out a small cardboard box. "After we escaped, I took the risk of returning and found these letters. They were written for you..."

Travis looked on at Liam set the box down on a worn down table. "Trina... She-?"

"No." he sighed heavily. "While the identity of the writer is unknown, it's clear that it wasn't Trina. For a year, someone else poured their most personal feelings into each of these letters."

It took only a moment for the young man to tear up. "So, you have no clue who wrote them?"

"Correct." his deep voice echoed in the hallowed room.

"So how would you know that it wasn't Trina who wrote these?"

"Because she moved out not too long after you left. After that, we all would run checks through here in hopes that you'd show up again. Andre. Tori. Robbie. We all stopped by every day to see if you'd returned only to find it empty as usual. The only ones who didn't come by were Beck, Cat, and Trina." Rashad rubbed the back of his neck before cracking it lightly. "Needless to say, whoever it was that wrote you these letters, it's clear that they were really into you."

"So, where is Trina?" his tone let out more desperation than he'd like, but he couldn't care less.

Silence.

The bigger of the pair simply closed his eyes in frustration.

"Please, I need to see her!"

"You can't..."

An instant...

That's all it took for Liam to grab his blood by the collar of his jacket.

"Tell me now!" he yelled.

However, it was more than evident that Rashad was far from intimidated by the actions of the irate Liam as he steeled his resolve. The two glared for what seemed like an eternity; each man's eyes burning with fire. In Rashad's eyes, a contained fire that signified no fear while in Liam's, a wild flame was burning maliciously along with a hint of...

_Desperation._

Rashad then smirked and calmly took his brother's hands from his jacket and flashed a smile. "Trina isn't here in Rockport anymore. In fact, nobody is..."

With a look of confusion that shifted to one of anger, Liam could only stare at the ground as he gritted his teeth. "What happened?"

"They all scattered after leaving the city. I'm the only one who stayed behind."

Raising an eyebrow, Liam responded. "Why'd you stay? How come you didn't leave with the others?"

For what it was worth, Rashad let out a hearty laugh that reverberated throughout the destroyed garage.

"Without going into another long story, I have some unfinished business to take care of here. Finding you was one of them."

"And the others?"

"I'll tell you when you're ready..."

"Oh come on!" Liam huffed. "I'm not six years old! You don't have to keep secrets from me, you know?"

"Mhmm..." Rashad's grin instantly turned smug as he observed his brother's mini-tantrum. "Fine. It's just a little investigation..."

"Into taking down Razor?"

"Close..." he nodded. "I'm hunting down someone who might've helped him. For now, all I've had are dead ends but I feel I'm getting closer to finding their identity. Meanwhile, you need a fresh start; away from this city and away from the hell you've endured."

Rubbing the back of his neck, Liam let out a sharp breath at the news he was hearing. "Where would I go? I don't have any money to get a place."

After what seemed like a long pause, Liam finally found his question answered in the form of keys being tossed to him. Raising an eyebrow, he watched as Liam took him behind the garage.

"You're going to Palmont City," Rashad announced with a sly smirk. He then revealed a custom blue Mitsubishi Lancer. "You can crash at my place tonight, but you'll need to leave tomorrow evening. Once you've gotten ready and cleaned up, you'll need to go to this address." Rashad then handed his brother a piece of paper with the information scribbled on it. "I called in a favor for you to get past the roadblocked road that leads out of town. Whatever you do, don't stop for too long." Liam simply nodded at the plan, though he couldn't hide his disdain at not being able to get his revenge on Razor or the other Blacklist members. "I'll upload the path on your GPS when you set off. For now though, just pack up and rest up for the drive."

Liam and Rashad soon finished their discussion and it was then that the former realized that he needed to fix himself up before his night run. The remainder of the evening was spent shaving and cleaning before packing up what few things he had then. Afterward, he set out for a bite to eat, his thoughts completely on one thing.

_Trina... I'm going to make this right..._

* * *

**Alright, let's get this out of the way now! Yes, this is yet ANOTHER rewrite of one of my older stories (NFS: Torque) however, I began to realize that while it was a good story, there were so many things that made me want to leave this behind. For starters, there was the case of how convoluted everything was. From the excessive details and the surplus of characters to the complicated means of trying to incorporate driving into the story (especially since the franchise this story was based on relies on that heavily).**

**Needless to say, I'm taking a more simplistic approach to things this time around and learning from the mistakes made int he past. So, keep in the mind the following:**

***While the first few chapters will be rewrites, the old chapters are being closely looked into and rewritten to fit the direction I need for it to go. Some elements will change while others will remain intact. The point of this is to keep the story cohesive and easy to follow while making sure that it's exciting from start to finish. **

***I won't be using others OCs until everything is stable and I have a solid foundation to work with.**

***Lastly, I am open to constructive criticism via reviews and if you have any questions or comments feel free to ask and I'll respond to them during the next posted chapter.**

**Thank you all for supporting and see you guys in the next update.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Of Ravens & Moonlight**

**Chapter 2: Reintroductions**

* * *

**Entry 6**

**_So much has happened since you've been gone and not a day goes by that I don't blame her for you leaving. I know I didn't say much when you were here, but, I really do miss you. I miss how you didn't hesitate to stay when I'd have a mental breakdown or how you could devour an extra large slice of pizza without missing a beat. It's silly considering I'm with someone right now, but if nothing else, I really miss your friendship. It's been pretty boring in Rosewood lately and in a way, I really hate the lack of chaos that ensued; or maybe it's just how determined you were to save us. Well, my shift over here is nearly done so, I'll leave this here in case you do return. Be safe and know that you're missed dearly._**

Carbon Canyon.

To the average driver, it is a thing of beauty as the moon envelopes the land, creating a peaceful backdrop to contrast the bright lights of the city below.

However, to street crews, it is the ultimate proving ground.

Carbon Canyon has been the be all end all when it comes to the street racing scene. Only the most experienced drivers would dare race on it. Only the best survive its twists and curves. Inside the racing world, it is the decision maker. Few have driven in the canyon aside from entering or leaving the city, and even fewer have survived the way down. Its beauty serves only to hide the true maliciousness it can reap on those who foolishly attempt to conquer it.

One such driver knows all too well what this road is capable of; the dangerous mistress that she was.

The full moon pierced the clear night sky as its bright light clung to the dark blue Mitsubishi Lancer cruising down the canyon. The driver, a now clean and rested Liam drove down the canyon with his mind full of conflicting memories. The darkness of the night shrouded the vehicle as it weaved down the lone road as the question of his target location, as well as his estranged girlfriend. His dark green eyes, while focused on the dimly lit road ahead, held within the pain of the past he'd hope to leave behind. That pain within him was what caused him to miss three years of his life to the Rock Port judicial system. Thankfully, he had run across Rashad who, halfway set him straight. After the events at the now abandoned garage in Rosewood, Liam had managed to cut off the excessively thick beard that had formed along his face. In its place were a neatly trimmed shadow along with a goatee and a thin mustache that allowed to retain his slightly matured look.

His dark brown hair, while still in locs, had been touched up in a braided ponytail so that they were only a little past his shoulders He had long gotten rid of his ratty old clothes from his old days before prison; replaced by a grey A-shirt that hugged his toned dark chest and black jogging pants. Around his neck, a black choker necklace with a wolf's paw rested. Checking his GPS, Liam noticed that he was halfway to his destination. He sighed softly and continued down the path as he arrived closer to his destination.

"Trina..." he called out softly. "...I wonder if.. you can forgive me?"

As drove into a dimly lit tunnel, his mind finally escorted him to the dark moment of his past that continued to haunt him to this day.

The night that started all of this...

* * *

**Rockport City (Rosewood) Three Years Ago**

A few weeks after some arrangements were settled upon, Liam and Tori decided to catch up on some rest while Trina was busy browsing online. After checking various shopping sites, she decided to do something else and started typing in random names into a search engine.

"Okay, let's start with..." she tapped her finger against her chin for a moment. "...Liam Patterson."

Tapping the proper keys she immediately came across multiple links that mentioned many guys by the same name but none of the results were anywhere connected to her boyfriend. "Hmmm... It's like he doesn't even..." suddenly her eyes caught sight of a picture that matched her search. Unfortunately, it was not a pleasant thing to view. In front of her was a mug shot of Liam only his hair was much shorter and instead of a small patch of facial hair, there was nothing but smooth chocolate skin. Trina started to panic but found herself intrigued with curiosity and clicked on it. Below the picture was a link that redirected her to the main page for warrants in Olympic City and Bayview respectively. She took a moment to look over her shoulders, making sure Tori or Rashad was not around and clicked the intended record.

Liam Vincent Patterson

*File #: 2739X-4G928

*Charges: 5 counts

A. Grand Theft Auto (Rockport)

B. Police Evasion (Rockport/Olympic City/Bayview)

C. Battery (Rockport)

D. Assault (Olympic City)

E. Manslaughter-Second Degree (Olympic City)

*Status: Unknown

*Bounty: $1,500,000,000

Trina's eyes nearly popped out of her head after reading the final charge. Sure she herself had to admit that her own past was nowhere near clean, but that was nothing compared to the last charge. Before she could investigate further, she heard the sounds of locks turning and quickly turned off the computer monitor and darted for her room. As her door shut, the back door opened to reveal Liam himself. He shut the door behind him and tossed his bag on the couch just as Trina walked out trying to act casually.

"Hey beautiful." he walked over to hug her only for her to jerk away slightly. "Trina? What's wrong?"

The Latina woman bit her lip while trying to keep herself from having a breakdown.

"Trina, is something wrong?"

Looking him in his eyes, Trina could see the love and concern practically pouring from him. She wanted nothing more than to hug him and never let go; to show him that she too loved him without judgment. So how did it end up in the exact opposite scenario occurred? Why did it turn out that before her very eyes was her now stunned and confused boyfriend on the floor rubbing the left side of his now sore face.

"What the hell was that for?" he picked himself up and yelled. "What did I do to deserve that?!"

Rashad, Tori, and the others rushed out of the room to see the couple glaring at one another.

"Why did you do it?" she yelled back.

"Do what? I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Really now? So you don't remember the eyes of the person you killed, Liam?!" she exploded.

The room grew quiet as those words sunk into his brain. His eyes grew to the size of golf balls when her words poured from her mouth.

"Liam, what's she talking about?" Tori asked.

No words would come out.

Rashad just stood there frozen in terror at what Trina was accusing his brother of. Liam looked at the two and was about to say something to Rashad as well only to be cut off before being able to do so.

"How did you know about...?" he asked, unfamiliar darkness lacing his words.

"...So it is true..." Trina crossed her arms.

Rashad just remained there trying to find the words to explain the current situation but nothing would come out. His mind was racing at 100 miles per hour as his eyes remained on Trina's unnerving gaze. It was beyond clear that Trina Vega had stumbled upon something that was not meant to be found. Jade & Tori could only watch as the situation grew even more unstable by the second yet, kept their mouths shut in hopes of satisfying their curious minds.

"Trina, you... you don't understand."

"What's not to understand? You killed someone!"

"It was self-defense!" he snapped back.

"Why did you kill them?!" she roared back.

Once more, no words would come out as Liam studied his pissed girlfriend before storming out of the garage.

"Forget it..." The door slammed behind him, leaving only the awkward silence the permeated within the makeshift home.

Trina remained planted in the same spot as she heard the sound of an engine roaring and soon after the pulling off of a vehicle. The couple watched as Trina began to shake as tears began to flow down her face. The sheer shock of finding out that Rashad was involved in killing someone was more than enough to mess with her emotions, but now she had to deal with the fact that she may have very well just cost herself the man of her dreams. Unable to stand the reality of her actions, Trina collapsed and sobbed bitterly as Tori and Rashad helped her to her feet.

The pair escorted Trina to her room, leaving behind the goth who simply stared at the main door for seemingly an eternity until she heard the words from the brunette in the back.

"Hold on, Trina. It's going to be okay..."

* * *

**Palmont City-Present Day**

Liam was suddenly jerked out of his memories when a bright light bounced off of his rear view window. Before he could process who was tailgating him, he felt the vehicle slammed into the back of his car. The Lancer began to swerve slightly just as he was about to turn on a major curve in the road. After narrowly avoiding the edge of the road, he finally had the opportunity to see a Chevrolet Corvette Z06 speeding up behind him.

"What the hell?" he growled as once again the driver rammed his vehicle into his own car.

Pushing on the throttle, the Lancer began to pull away, causing the mysterious driver to narrowly miss him. Soon the two were on a classic high-speed chase. The two kept up the game of Cat & Mouse down the lone path leading the city, with Liam just managing to put a tiny amount of distance between him and his chaser. However, he checked his rear view mirror again to see that the gap had widened and with a sigh of relief, he finally let out a hearty laugh.

"That'll teach you to challenge.. whoa!"

The victory was short lived as Liam Patterson found himself swerving into a construction zone. The initial impact caused the young man's head to collide with the window, disorientating his vision. Everything was a blur as the car spun wildly only to come to a halt thanks in no small part to a series of large pipes landing directly on the hood, thus totaling the car. (Technically buried under the pipes.) In a split second, he tried to open his door only to see his pursuer rushing over and shutting the door, preventing Liam's escape.

"Sit down!" the man barked.

'That voice...' Liam recognized it without fail. 'Sergeant Cross?'

Sure enough, as his vision cleared, he saw that indeed it was Cross only something was clearly different about his longtime foe. Gone was his standard Rock Port uniform replaced with what appeared to be a tacky Hawaiian button-up shirt. His medium cut Afro had apparently grown a bit longer and now in traditional cornrows. The only thing that remained the same to him was his signature scowl/half smirk combo. The realization had finally set in: Cross was no longer on the force, which also explained why he was after him despite the obvious fact that Palmont City was way out of his jurisdiction.

"It's time to settle a little score from Rockport, don't you think?" his classic authoritative tone was also ringing a bell. Or maybe that was his brain still trying to reboot itself? "Oh crap.," he muttered while clutching his head only to realize that he was bleeding from a small gash near his temple. With a dark grin, he opened the door with extreme prejudice. "Get out!" he ordered. However, just as Liam was about to comply with the man's instructions but, just as he stepped out, his vision was compromised by multiple headlights approaching the two men.

"Dammit.." Cross cursed under his breath.

Liam thought of making a run for it but one glance at Cross, and the fact that his only escape route was now blocked by the multiple cars, he remained still. From the looks of things, each car was the same shade of rose red. "What the hell is going on?"

The answer to that question was revealed as a small group of people emerged from the perfectly coordinated vehicles. The man standing in front of them all was their leader who gave off an aura of undisputed leadership. He wore Both of the men across from them recognized him and both wore their respective reactions on their sleeves. Cross, who now had his arms folded, muttered another curse under his breath before approaching the clean-shaven man.

"I don't remember asking for your help, Crock." The man chastised the disgruntled former cop. "What makes you think that you can bounty hunt in Silverton without my permission?"

"It's Cross." the bounty hunter retorted; sucking his teeth in the process. "..And this guy's from out of town!"

The mysterious man's eyes cut towards Liam who was now stone-faced.

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" he asked rhetorically before turning his attention, but not his gaze, towards Cross once more. "What's his bounty?"

Frustration had begun to set in as evident in his tone. "150K..."

Taking only a moment, he signaled a man wearing a black suit. "David, take care of this guy."

Cross knew what this meant. While he figured he was about to get paid, he also caught on that his vendetta with Liam would have to wait. He opted to agree with the terms and went along with the pending transaction in progress. Meanwhile, Liam glared slightly at the man who apparently knew him at one point in time.

"So, that's what you've been up to?" the man smirked just as another car pulled up to the construction zone.

As it pulled to a stop, a thigh-high heeled boot appeared from behind the car door. Soon the figure emerged revealing the last person he'd expect to see.

"Trina." the fair-skinned young man chuckled. "This should be interesting..."

Trina Vega caught sight of the green-eyed young man and for a second, their eyes met. Revealing hurt, sorrow, and happiness upon seeing one another again, Trina's eyes quickly blazed with fury as she stomped towards the person who held her heart all those years ago.

"How dare you show your face here?!" she roared only to be grabbed by the man who seemed to calm her anger down in an instant. If he didn't know any better, Liam would've thought those two were together. His suspicions were confirmed when he brushed his lips against the tip of her earlobe, resulting in a nearly inaudible moan. "Alright. I'm calm, Beck."

Beck simply set her down, allowing her to stand a little ways away from the two just as Cross drove off into the night.

"I still don't know what happened the night you took off. But I do know you're into me for some serious cash." Beck's expression, while calm, left no room for debate as Liam groaned softly to himself. "Things have changed since the good old days. With all these crews battling for territory, its been too close for comfort these days and I think you're the perfect guy to help me out, given your skills." Suppressing a growl, Liam was about to snap on the guy but was cut off. "The way I see things, that's twice now that I've bailed you out of a serious jam now."

Trina continued to look away with a clear look of conflicting emotions as Beck Oliver continued to explain his case.

"Time to pay up, buddy. Trina..." he called out. "Why don't get our old pal here the ropes?"

"You can't be serious." she argued only to receive a stern look. "You know that-"

"Do you see any other course of action? We have to get him on the streets asap."

An obviously annoyed Trina nodded in agreement. Liam could only watch helplessly as Trina allowed her boyfriend to kiss her forehead before heading to her car. Liam and Beck watched until the door was shut, then returned to their stare down.

"So, this is what's been going on since I left? How long was it before you moved in on her, Beck?" The two men, while tense from the circumstance before them, kept their composure. "I wouldn't be surprised if you were waiting on an opportunity to stick it to me after that night."

"Heheh.. just don't disappoint. Not again." the cocky Beck let out a soft chuckle. "But trust me, you have it all wrong. I only managed to rescue Trina while on a trip to Rockport. I'd give you the details but..." almost on cue, the Beck and Travis heard a car horn blowing at them, with the latter walking past the former. "Looks like you have a ride to catch buddy.

As he brushed past him, Travis managed to get out one last jab at his former best friend. "I know you set me up..." he said coldly before entering in the passenger's seat of Trina's red charger. Soon she pulled off into the night leaving Beck alone to look at the outskirts of Palmont City. "Good luck proving it..." he whispered as he pulled out and lit a cigarette. He took a long drag from it before grinning as his plan was now getting put into motion.

* * *

The ride through Palmont City was uneventful, to say the least. It would've been considered peaceful were it not for the palpable tension between the former couple. It was Liam who was nervous between the two of them while Trina chose to remain focused on the road ahead, clearly content with ignoring her passenger. Letting out a defeated sigh, he decided to shatter the silence that threatened to suffocate the two.

"Trina I-"

"We're here." she cut him off as she pulled into a parking lot. After coming to a stop, Trina Vega swiftly exited the car and headed towards what appeared to be a dealership. "Get out and let's get this over with."

Before he could say anything else, Liam soon found himself face to face with another blast from the past.

"Thanks for waiting up for us, sis."

"No problem. I was wondering... Liam?" she stopped dead in her tracks upon the sight of him. "Is that really you?"

The young man simply nodded; only capable of mustering a weak grin.

"Hey, Tori. Long time no see, huh...?"

"I'll say." she wrestled to keep her poker face intact, showing the tiniest of smiles in the process.

"Yeah well, Beck made these three cars available to you. Pick one then Tori can take you off my hands."

Although nonchalant, both Tori and Liam could feel the heavy amount of venom in the older Vega's tone.

Both realized that trying to explain to or convince her of anything would be a moot point as Liam walked towards the brand new cars. While the sister waited, Liam scoped out the collection and finally settled on a familiar sight. "I'll go with the Mitsubishi Lancer." Predictable was the word that came to the two sister's minds but in different contexts. Tori was grinning softly at the nostalgia of seeing the form of Liam actually there after so many years of believing him to be missing or dead. Trina's mind was focused on getting as far from her ex-boyfriend as quickly as she can. Her expression showed irritation but her mind and heart were literally in a battle with each other.

"Alright. So you have your ride now. Beck will send you some details about your jobs and how much you still owe him. Tori, help him get set up somewhere and show him the ropes." she ordered. "Tori, call me when you finish up here."

Without another second to process things, Liam watched as his former lover drove off without a single glance in his direction. Fortunately, he had found a friend who was more than happy to see him.

"Come on." she tossed him the keys before excitedly rushing to her own car. "You've got a lot to learn before you get to work here."

"Yeah, I see..." he hopped in the stock car and listened as the engine revved to life. Soon, he found himself following behind Tori anxious to see his new home. "...I wonder what else has changed?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Of Ravens & Moonlight**

**Chapter 3: Lighting a Spark**

* * *

**Entry 15**

**_Here we go again... So, apparently, we're supposed to be taking shifts here at least once a week. I have a serious question... How are you more of a pain in the ass when you're gone more so than when you were here? Okay, I'm done bitching. To be honest, I'm actually hoping that you walk through these doors one day when I'm here. It really would make my day if I could see that you were safe and sound. I may punch you in the shoulder but... is it wrong that I might also want to kiss you too? Probably... Either way, I really wouldn't give a damn what the others would say about that. Just... Just come back, please?_**

Liam cruised down the street alongside Tori, clearly distracted at the events that have unfolded over the last few days. He was released from prison and met up with his brother Rashad. He then found out that, as he expected, things had changed massively after his subsequent departure from the group. The Blacklist was once again run by its original members while his friends left the city after being marked by Razor and the others. Unfortunately, with little to no knowledge of where they were exactly, he had no choice but to use the only clue he had to get answers.

This, of course, was what led Liam to Palmont, a city that surprisingly, he knew all too well.

It seemed now that the past was truly catching up to him as he soon found himself traveling to this location only to wind up being chased by the man who'd been hunting him back in Rockport, only to be rescued by Beck and Trina. The "reunion" was beyond tense as he had to battle his on conflicted feelings with the two while coming to grips with the reality of owing Beck another favor. Combine that with Trina's blatant disregard for his existence, unless you count the wrath that threatened to engulf him, and the guy was truly a bundle of emotions.

Amidst these thoughts of woe and negativity, there was one good thing that resulted from everything thus far. That would be the young woman sitting in the passenger's seat. Tori Vega. The Latina woman had been a breath of fresh air in an otherwise murky experience since his release days ago. He found himself entranced by the good old days while managing to keep his eyes firmly on the road. However, like all things in life, it had to come to an end.

"Hello?" Tori's voice rang in his ear.

"Huh?"

"You didn't hear anything that I said did you?" she crossed her arms while wearing a mockingly annoyed face.

"I'm sorry, Tori. I've just had a lot on my mind since..."

Tori smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's alright. I honestly can't blame you."

Taking his eyes off the road for a moment, Liam could now see the sadness in his friend's eyes. It was something he'd seen before with her but still nothing he'd ever be used to. Back in Rockport borough, she would have that expression whenever she was away from if Razor was ever mentioned so to see it now...? It was enough to trigger his curiosity.

"What happened, Tori?" his emerald eyes returned to the road. "What happened after I left?"

The younger Vega sister, while she could only see his profile, could literally feel the desperation emitting from him. It took a few more moments of Liam weaving through traffic until they arrived in an unfamiliar area of Palmont. "Welcome to San Juan, Liam." Tori flashed a grin that had no rival.

"San Juan? I've never heard of this area before."

"Of course not. This borough was basically a ghost town for years until about six months ago." Tori began to explain while giving him directions to a place the two would call home. It only took a few more minutes of turns until finally, the two found themselves at a rather large auto garage. After pulling inside, the two got out "This part of Palmont was relatively untouched for a long time until about a year ago when crews were going around and trying to claim territories for themselves. In the end, Beck won control of Silverton, the largest borough in the city. The other three were given to the other three top drivers and their respective crews."

Tori took little time in introducing Liam to his new home. Deep down inside, she was beyond happy that Liam was back from his hiatus. She quickly showed him where his room was and finally the kitchen/living room area. Stepping past the main door into the garage, she happened to take notice of the fierce gaze Liam was giving off. Sure, she was one of the few who had seen her close friend like this before, but now? This time was different... There was a sense of darkness that truly sent a tensing chill down her spine.

"Liam what's wrong?" she placed a hand on his shoulder and at that precise moment, she felt the tiniest form of a shudder. "You can talk to me, you know? I know you're upset about Trina but..."

"No.. it's not about Trina. It's about Beck..." he started but turned away as ire and grief began to overtake him. "...he's not who you think he is."

With a confused look, Tori grabbed his arm.

"Listen, yes Beck isn't like most guys...!" her tone was much lower and there was a hint of venom behind her words at this point. Yes, she was more than happy to see him but at the same time, she was more than angry with him for leaving her sister and the gang behind. "You disappeared for three years and you just expected her to take you back with open arms?!" She never took her hazel eyes from his emerald orbs as the flames blazed. "You just left and never returned and now here we are, with her being happy with Beck now and you could potentially ruin that. Please... just leave her alone, will you? I don't know why you came back but..."

Unfortunately, he never got to hear the rest because the younger Vega sister began walking towards the front door. "Look, I don't hate you. I'm just conflicted with our friendship and my sister. I'm sure you have your reasons for leaving but... right now, I should let you get some rest. I'll be back in a couple of days with more information regarding your debt to Beck." she turned around in hopes of avoiding him seeing the true conviction behind her eyes.

"How did you find out about...?"

Tori just flashed a sad smile then turned to leave. Crossing the threshold, a breeze flew by causing her hair to blow to the side and revealed a tattoo. This particular tattoo was of four aces stacked in front of one another. Before he could stop and ask about it, Tori had shut the door behind her leaving Travis alone... or so he thought. While he contemplated what had just happened, he failed to notice that somebody else was inside of his new home.

"Tori...?"

"It's the mark of the Stacked Deck Crew."

With a look of pure shock and slight fear, Liam turned around to find a familiar face to match the voice.

"No way..." he whispered to himself in shock. Standing in front of him was the form of a pale skinned girl with icy blue-green eyes, and matching blue streaks in her jet black hair. "Jade?"

"No, it's Mary Poppins, numb nut." she retorted, though with a snarky smirk on her lips as she walked inside from one of the rear bedrooms. Jade West waltzed, with an extra sway in her hips until her face was literally mere inches from his own. Despite her signature grin, Liam knew from experience not to assume anything from the Gothic girl. His cheeks flushed a rose shade of red, barely visible to most but Jade caught it. She knew that he found her attractive and didn't make it any easier for him considering she was wearing nothing but a tight purple and black, long-sleeved t-shirt and a pair of purple panties with a cute skull on the back.

"J-Jade, I-I.." he was cut off when he suddenly felt the cold hard sting of Jade's hand slamming against the right side of his face.

With what felt like enough force to break wood boards, Liam found himself stumbling back. His hair tie broke under the pressure of her sharp nails as another slap connected with the side of his head. "Jade! I can explain.." It was a miracle that he narrowly dodged the third slap and with a newfound determination, he caught the fourth attempt and stared at the now tearful eyes of Jade West. If his earlier encounters with Trina and Tori weren't enough to break him, seeing the usually tough and snarky Jade in this condition was the straw that broke the camels back.

"How could you?" her voice broke down. "You just left and never came back... Do you know what Trina was going through? What.. I went through?"

Shame washed over the face of the young man before her.

He managed to piss off not one but three women who he cared deeply about. Trina, his ex-girlfriend was between being furious and nonchalant whenever she was around him. Tori was purely happy and yet, equally upset about his reemergence... and Jade? What about Jade? Well, she clearly tried to take his head off with those slaps and he was sure if he let go, she would try to hit a home run at his expense. His now free-flowing locs hid his face but not the tears that fell down to the ground.

"Jade, I'm sorry... I really am." he finally spoke. "I never meant to hurt you or Trina or anyone else."

She simply pulled away but remained where she stood. Her expression was unreadable but she nodded for him to continue.

"But you did!" she released the floodgates. "You hurt us deeply, you moron!"

"I know it seemed as if I just ran away from everything but.." he steeled his resolve. "But, I didn't mean to disappear for so long. I swear!"

"Then why didn't you come back? Why didn't you answer your phone when we tried to call or text you, idiot?!"

"I was in prison...!" he yelled back, readying himself for another barrage of insults. Thankfully, she just stared at him in disbelief."

"What?" he voice was no louder than a whisper now.

Liam nodded slowly, careful not to make any sudden movements. He then motioned for them both to sit down and began to explain. He told her about him being attacked and left for dead by the members of the Blacklist. He then went on to reveal his whereabouts after managing to recover. Gone was her anger, replaced by wonder and interest as he went on to tell her about his arrest, conviction, and incarceration for the three years he was considered missing. By the time he finished, Jade had a new found respect and understanding for her friend.

"Wow. I had no idea.," she admitted. "...but wait. I get that you were shot and later arrested, but how did the cops find you so quickly?"

Once again, Liam glared at the ground with a sudden fierceness that he rarely showed. "I was set-up; betrayed by someone I thought I could trust. Someone from my past that still haunts me to this day." he flashes a look at Jade that questioned her trust and sincerity. Her gaze confirmed this and he continued. "I found out something I wasn't supposed to. After I left that night, I was challenged to a race by two riders. Naturally, I accepted and took out my anger on the road by winning. The two cars then kept going so I chased them down to get my money from them only to wind up getting sideswiped. Seeing how they were gunning for me, and my ride was totaled, I ran as fast as I could to one of the safe houses in Camden...

"I was set-up..."

* * *

**Camden Beach- 3 years ago**

Liam was severely limping towards the safe house in hopes that he could attain refuge inside. The vehicles chased him down until he managed to lose them when he darted into the alley and cut through the construction zone. Getting hit, he sustained a gash near his temple, multiple lacerations on his left arm & leg, and his hip was severely bruised. He was losing a lot of blood but that wouldn't stop him from reaching his destination. He figured that whoever was trying to hunt him down could potentially know where he was going and he assumed right as he hid behind some bushes near the pier. He watched intently as the first car, a silver Ford Mustang, drove past in the pouring rain followed by a candy red Mercedes Benz. After seeing them pass the safe house, he ran or rather limped down the walkway until he finally arrived made it.

"Someone please be at home." he pleaded to no one in general.

He grits his teeth as he slammed his fist into the door but nobody answered.

The stinging sensations of pain and frustration rang through his body. Desperation began to taunt him as he resorted to slamming his already injured body into the front door. It managed to pay off as he collapsed inside. Content for only a moment, he remembered the circumstances that brought him to this location and swiftly shut the door leaving him plunged in the darkness of the garage. He called out in case anyone was still inside but got no response.

He was safe... for now.

"Okay, Liam. Now we gotta find a place to rest or something. I just need to find a light switch and I'll be able to rest for a bit." he continued to feel around for a light source only to bump into something hard. With a groan, he surmised that he was in someone's room. Liam smiled to himself as he flipped a switch, allowing his eyes to adjust to the dim light overhead. Inspecting his surroundings, he realized that he was in Beck's room, triggering a tiny bit of concern for his friend. That moment, however, was short-lived as something happened to catch his eye. He shut the door quietly and made his way to the small dresser and saw what appeared to be a police badge. Trying to make sense of what he was seeing, he saw the name that justified his fears.

"Beck Oliver?" Curiosity got the better of him and he went through the drawers to find documents and files on not only himself but everyone in the group. Beck was either crooked or undercover. He literally had them in the palm of his hand. Liam couldn't risk the cops coming down on his friends so he swiftly began to rip the documents to shreds. "Beck, how could you betray us?"

"You can't betray a side you were never on." Turning around, Liam felt the searing pain of a bullet piercing his leg. A cry of agony rang throughout the building as he crashed into the floor. "You just couldn't keep your nose where it doesn't belong, could you." The voice was none other than Razor, the former leader of Blacklist 15. "I was hoping you would just keep racing and help me out but.. it seems that you've left me no choice." he then lifted his .45 revolver at the grunting Travis as the sound of a far off door opening was heard. The traitor grinned slyly as Liam's consciousness began to fade before mouthing the words:

"You owe me.."

* * *

Back in the present day, Jade was staring at Liam, mouth agape at what she was hearing.

"I barely remember much after that. I woke up in the hospital cuffed to one of the rails. Once my injuries were treated, I was convicted of my past and sentenced to seven years imprisonment with that possibility of time served for good behavior after the second year due to my age at the time of the crime. I actually got out a few days ago and was told by Rashad to come here if I wanted to set things right."

Jade was stunned to hear the truth about Beck but more because she was usually so good at figuring these things out. Beck was usually predictable but now it seemed that he was truly a few steps ahead of everyone. "But now he's here in Palmont City as a street racer, ruling Silverton. But how is he able to do all of this? Could he be still working with Rockport P.D.?"

"I don't think so..." Liam took a moment to think. "He would be out of his jurisdiction here though. He probably retired and attained immunity for himself. Also, I know it wasn't him who found and shot at me that night but, I think he might've had something to do with it. Or, it could be a random occurrence. Either way, it's clear that Beck's a sly one."

Seeing her friend stressed out like this was beyond her comprehension. The hell he'd gone through all this time, Jade knew he needed comfort and more importantly, support. With a soft smile, she took his hand and led him to his new room. She then turned the lights down and hugged him tightly. Aside from her own ex, Liam was one of the rare few to see Jade in a state of vulnerability.

Returning the embrace, he felt her begin to calm down.

He smiled and whispered. "Thank you, Jade."

"Um... For what?" she raised a perfectly arched eyebrow in genuine embarrassment. "I didn't do anything..."

"Nothing," he chuckled softly. "I just really needed this after everything's that happened thus far."

"Yeah, well don't go getting all mushy on me, tiger," she smirked slyly. "You're not out of the fire yet."

Then she pulled away from him, still retaining her grin. Her arms rested on his shoulders as their eyes locked onto one another's.

"Then, I'll just have to man up and get burned."

"Good to know you've toughened up over the last three years." she teased, unable to hide the dark ruby hue coating her cheeks."

Blue and green.

Ice and Earth...

Jade and Liam steadily began to realize a subtle truth.

They always knew that Liam loved Trina and still did.

However, Jade also knew another secret the young man confirmed back in Rockport when they first met. Trina was his first love, but Jade was a very close second. No, she wasn't a replacement or consolation prize but truly someone with whom he felt he could possibly lead a good life. She was strongly in his heart just as much as Trina was and that's what haunted her when the two were together. But now, here he was with her. Just the two of them. He was alive. Liam was safe. He was single and for the night... if only for the night, he could be hers.

"Jade I-" She shushed him with her soft lips crashed onto his followed by her grabbing his shirt, pulling him into her room.

His attempt to speak was reduced to nothing more than just barely audible moans as her tongue slipped into his mouth. She then removed her shirt along with her bra, giving her crush a clear view of her figure from the waist up. Her pale tone somehow was a perfect contrast to his chocolate skin as they both fell back onto the bed. Her raven hair shrouded their faces from view as Jade, who was usually rough around the edges, now was as gentle as a lamb. The night was filled not with the sounds of hot and heavy sex, however. It was actually capitalized by the bliss of appreciation, love, adoration, reciprocation, and passion that sent the two in a state of contentment and peace. In other words, there was no attempt at sex, but rather, the two laid there, sharing stories of what happened since they'd last seen each other. However, this didn't stop Jade from stealing kisses to which Liam gladly reciprocated.

"Liam..." she gasped softly, feeling the bliss of freedom of expression with her friend, and now lover.

They laid down together with Jade huddled under the larger Liam. She traced her finger along his prison tattoo sleeve, simply imagining what he had to endure to ensure his survival. Her heart broke as the thoughts began to overwhelm her as she shivered in his arms. He instinctively intertwined his fingers with hers and pulled her closer to him, letting her feel his heartbeat.

For Liam, he knew that he loved Trina Vega but, Jade had also found a way to creep into his heart as well. From what he saw, she was through with him as a person, let alone romantically. He also loved Jade too but until now, was never able to explore those feelings. Now that he was officially single, Liam would give himself the chance to live life. Guilt tried to worm its way in his mind but found no home as Jade moaned softly while nuzzling his chest softly.

"Just so you know..." she yawned. "...Vega never finished explaining to you what's been going on in this city over the past year and a half."

"Oh, right... it wouldn't be good if she returned to find us like this, would it?"

Jade nearly giggled at the worry and, more importantly, disappointment in his voice. She turned over and exited his room leaving him with a view of her swaying butt. "I'll be back." he heard in the distance. He sat up and remembered that he was still in his jogging pants. He shrugged and began to remove them before Jade returned. Unfortunately, (depending on how you view the situation) he would find himself under the watchful eyes of the pale-skinned beauty, who simply smirked as she enjoyed the sight before her. "Nice butt."

"Dammit..." he muttered to himself just as he managed to remove the last leg. "How long have you been there?"

"Long enough to see that your time away had done wonders for you."

"Well it's nice to see that someone appreciates my hard work." he chuckled softly but then raised an eyebrow. "So what's up?"

Jade simply shrugged. "Nothing but the ceiling." she walked back to him to see his face locked in concern. "Relax, I texted Vega and told her that I would fill you in so she's guaranteed not to come back until a few days from now. Besides, she used my key to get inside earlier so she'd have to knock in order to get inside or use Beck's key which takes time for him to get here. So don't worry okay?"

Planting another kiss, Jade felt herself being lifted with ease by the object of her affection. Over the past few years, she filled out in the hips and thigh areas which was the reason for her surprised expression.

"Alright, we agree that you'll fill me in tomorrow. Now can we get some shut-eye, Jade?"

Jade rolled her eyes but in a playful manner as Liam set her down and planted one more kiss before cuddling her again. The two drifted off into a deep slumber unaware that their heartbeats were truly in sync. For the night, nothing else mattered.

Trina's fury.

Tori's allegiance.

Beck's treachery.

All of those things take a back seat in the mind of Liam Patterson.

For Jade, she was no longer bound by her past. Trina, who she always resented for various reasons was an afterthought as she sunk into the warm embrace of unconsciousness.

"Goodnight Travis."

"Goodnight Jade."


	4. Chapter 4

**Of Ravens & Moonlight**

**Chapter 4: Setting the Standard**

* * *

**Entry 38**

**_Hey, It's been a while since I was able to write to you but things have been pretty hectic. For starters, Beck and some of the others have really been acting weird and, if I can be honest, I don't like how he looks at Trina. It seems like ever since you left, they both have been getting friendly with one another and that is strange in and of itself. Normally, she was viewed as annoying to the point that he did little to nothing to help her before you and Rashad's arrival. I know I'm probably the last person you'd think to hear from but, I'm not as dumb as I look and I notice things when people think I don't. At this point, I'm really missing you and how kind you were to me even when others treated me like a pest rather than an equal. For now, I'm hoping that you come back soon. It's really boring nowadays and I miss the runs we used to take to the bakery down the street from your place. See you soon, KK?_**

**Silverton**

Beck sat at a cafe, lost in his thoughts. First, he'd received word that Cross, his former superior, was in his city. Before he could even address that, news that other crews were getting more and more greedy despite the 'fair' deal he cut with them. To cap it all off, a ghost from his past shows up by the name of Liam. He thought that he was rid of the only person who would expose him back in Rockport. He went in undercover to get information on the Blacklist and even staged his capture at the hands of Razor. Cat, his partner at the time was not supposed to be involved but he kept going in order to fully infiltrate and subsequently bring down the Blacklist for good. He was doing well until found himself the 'victim' of corruption; at least that's what he told himself.

Razor had figured out that Beck wasn't just another street racer and in exchange for his freedom, he would give Beck everything he needed so long as he would look the other way. Beck agreed and soon found himself living a lie. He would feed the force false information about Razor while selling out his friends. However, as time went on, he ran into two roadblocks. The first was Cross who, like Beck, was looking to bring down the Blacklist in order to further his career. At first, it was simply a race to bring the racers to justice but all of that changed after his and Razor's agreement. Cross was beginning to link him to the criminal gang so he decided that his rival had to go.

He'd find a way to stage the biggest set-up in Rockport history as he orchestrated every way for his friends to escape the city while leaving Cross disgraced. With that, he managed to further add insult to injury when he pinned the entire operation on the bounty hunter forcing him into a life of exile.

The second obstacle was Liam with whom his connection was a bit more complicated. When he and his brother arrived in the city, he liked the guy. But unknown to the new guy, his success was a major contribution to Beck's failure. Razor wanted him gone but it would be difficult without revealing his secret. So he waited for an opportunity to rid himself of the gifted racer while retaining his guise. It came in the form of Trina, whose curiosity opened the door for him. The bitter argument between his current girlfriend and the current bane of his existence, set into motion the plan that, at the time, would rid him of Liam for good. Or so he thought...

The race.

The crash.

The hunt.

It was all Beck.

It wasn't until a few hours ago, that he found out that Liam was basically in his backyard. He thought that he would rot in the slammer or at least stay as far away from him. Fortunately, he was able to think on the fly by using Liam's past to ensure his own future. Seeing Trina's harsh rejection towards him was just the icing on the cake. Soon, he would be the king of Palmont and he'll use his rival to get there.

"Beck?" a familiar voice dragged him from his dark thoughts.

Looking up, Beck saw Trina sitting across from him. Seeing her frustration, he smiled softly.

"Hey, babe. I see you're back. How'd it go?"

"It was whatever," she responded nonchalantly. "I'm still upset that I was the one who had to take him to the drop off point. You could've taken him yourself.."

The air of irritation was palpable. Beck could see that she was struggling to keep her emotions in check and in a weird way, he liked it. He knew that she was in love with Travis still but he only needed her to complete his goal, grant it, he did have feelings for her that developed after the two left Rockport behind. "Trina, I did that to test your loyalty."

Eyes widening, her face paled several shades. "Beck I told you before, I'm in your corner."

"I know." he stood to his feet and walked towards her. Her nervous aura could be felt as he took her hand. "But, actions speak louder than words, Trina. I needed to see just how loyal you were." the Latina felt herself being pulled close to her boyfriend. "I'm pleased to see that you've exceeded my expectations."

As the two shared a soft kiss, their moment was interrupted by the footsteps of one Tori Vega. A satisfied Beck gave his girl one final kiss on the cheek before heading out of the cafe. Tori felt uneasy and her sister could tell. Both were outfitted in beige trench coats over their clothes symbolizing to everyone that they were members of the Stacked Deck crew. The duo ignored the murmurs and stared at one another; one's eyes showed defiance while desperation filled the others.

"So, what did you want to talk about?"

* * *

The next morning, Liam allowed a yawn to escape as his sense tried to adjust to his surroundings. The peace of a small breeze flowing through the window calmed his mind. The few rays of sunlight warmed his face. He began to stretch his arms, noticing then that he was alone in his bed. Groggy and confused, he slowly rose up and inspected the room.

There was no sign of Jade West anywhere.

"Maybe I dreamed it all." he clutched his head, pushing his locks back.

"Do you always dream about a sexy goth chick in your bed?"

Needless to say, he found himself looking up at the half-naked form of his visitor.

"Do you always disappear without a trace after a romantic encounter?" he asked, a sly smirk gracing his lips.

Jade returned his expression and crossed her arms under her now bra covered breasts. "I had to go to the bathroom. But we have more important matters to discuss."

Nodding, he got out of the bed and quickly got cleaned up. Jade decided to do the same once her roommate exited the bathroom. She enjoyed the soothing water rushing down her body but wasted little time to get clean and dressed. Once she was outfitted in her standard black skirt, black leggings, black top and matching combat boots, she returned to find him in the garage area.

He was standing next to his stock Mitsubishi Lancer, Jade could hear his frustrated groan.

She held back a giggle before approaching the clearly disgruntled Liam. It was obvious that he was none too pleased with having to start over. "You'll have plenty of time to sulk over your ride." Jade interrupted his sulking. "But, like I said last night, we need to discuss what's going on." She took his hand, leading him to the makeshift living room. The two then took a seat, Jade on the couch and Liam in a nearby chair. "From what I learned from Vega, you know that there are multiple crews in the city looking to claim territory. Aside from this borough, four areas belong to crews. Downtown is controlled by Kenji's Bushido crew. They're pretty good in terms of control with their tuner cars on tight turns. The T.F.K. crew are the top speed kings. Led by Wolf, they rule the Fortuna district with Exotic cars. Kempton is held down by a chick named Angie and her 21st Street crew. She loves to get up close and personal with her muscle cars and if you don't watch out, she'll leave you at the starting line."

Liam, though focused, was processing everything. Jade took notice of this and decided to finish up.

"Obviously, you know that... Beck watches over Silverton. It's the biggest borough and as I'm sure you've noticed, he's well rounded in the skills of the other crew bosses."

"Yeah, considering I've seen those skills firsthand," he grumbled. "Now, about paying him back... We'll have to get me some races soon so I can get some cash right away." The determination in his eyes didn't go unnoticed by Jade who resisted the urge to bite her lip. "The faster I get paid, the faster Beck gets off of my back."

"Alright then. We'll start tonight with some simple races so you can get that stock ride fixed up." she nudged him in the ribs playfully which he responded by softly poking her side. "In the meantime, we'll get you started with forming a crew, not to mention, you'll be doing more than just racing."

"A crew?" confusion was evident in his voice.

"Yeah. I already mentioned the big four crews but there is a multitude of smaller crews that vie for small territories throughout the boroughs owned by the bigger crews. You'll need help if you plan to get this over with..."

"You make a good point. I wouldn't mind you joining up with me for a race."

"Well since you requested..." Jade pushed her body against the now blushing Liam "I'll be your wing-girl."

She then placed a soft kiss on his cheek and then left out of the garage with an extra sashay in her walk. She kept his attention until her form disappeared around the corner. When his brain finally reloaded, he focused on the Mitsubishi Lancer in front of him with a fierce gaze. He'd made up his mind the moment he ran into Beck. He wouldn't be content with just paying him back...

_I'm going to get him back..._

* * *

That evening, Tori decided to go for a drive to clear her head. Conflicted feelings plagued her thoughts as she tried to make sense of everything that happened over the last 24 hours.

Why was Beck dating Trina in the first place? Why didn't she speak up about it? Where had Liam been and why return now? Why did she snap on him last night?

These questions and more banged inside her head like a cup of dice as she made a right at a stop light and pulled up in an old parking garage. She continued until she reached the top level where two other vehicles sat near the far end under the twilight sky.

Pulling her vehicle to a stop, she waited for some form of signal to clarify if the two were friend or strangers. Sure enough, the closest car flashed its front lights five times in six-second intervals. That was the code Tori had been looking for as she let out a sigh of exasperation. "Thank goodness." She mumbled to herself. After settling next to the two other cars, the farthest one being a silver Mercedes Benz and the nearest a pure green and black Dodge Neon, she stepped on wearing her traditional trench coat over a pink tank top and jeans. The other two drivers, one male, one female, stepped out and the trio walked over to the ledge surveying the street below.

"So.." she started. "...it's been a while, hasn't it?"

"You know the answer to that, Tori." the response, coming from the male, was tough though lacking venom. "It's been months since we've heard from you and that's the first thing you can say to us?" The young man was rather tall, standing at 6'4", and well built. He sported long locs that flowed down to the middle of his back.

Tori, though hurt, never took her eyes off of the street down below. "I'm sorry, but it's difficult with Beck always being paranoid all the time. Plus, he's had me running 'errands' for him throughout Palmont to support his bid for power."

"That's all good and all but let's get to it." a short woman with red hair interrupted with patience nowhere to be found in her tone. "Why did you call us after all this time?"

While there was no problem between Tori and the male, the tension was clearly apparent between her and his partner. The young woman had fair colored skin and her crimson hair was now shaved on the side while the other half was styled in a lock/mohawk combo. Over her left eye sat an eyebrow ring while the right corner of her bottom lip sported two smaller rings. Her tanned skin accentuated her fiery brown eyes that matched her temper. Tori had to take a moment to harden her resolve before continuing.

"I asked you two to come because..." she bit her lip. "...We found him." Both flashed looks at Tori Vega, one of confusion and the other, frustration. "Look, he's in a race right now that'll end here. Just wait until he passes this light and you'll see what I mean." The Latina made her way to her candy red Dodge Viper. "Just promise me that you won't approach him yet. He's indebted to Beck right now and he doesn't need any distractions while trying to pay him back."

Before either of the two could inquire further, the car screeched as it disappeared down into the lower levels of the parking garage.

"What was that about?" the African-American man leaned against the ledge, watching as Tori sped off down the vacant street. "Sometimes that girl doesn't make any sense."

The girl huffed in annoyance. "Who knows? Tori always likes to speak in riddles just to piss me off." she ran her fingers through her hair trying to keep calm. "I don't see why you won't let me deck her one good time across her perfect little cheekbones."

The male chuckled softly. He then reached out and pulled the young woman into his strong arms. "Now, we both know why. She's still a good friend of mine, even if she's gone down a dark path. Besides..." he caught her chin between his index finger and thumb, bringing her lips in contact with his own. "...I'm sure whoever this person is, Tori believes he's important to the both of us. So let's just relax and find out who our mystery person is." He leaned in and kissed her neck eliciting an involuntary moan.

"Andre, stop that.." she giggled softly before capturing his lips with her own. "You know what that does to me."

"Calm you down?" he interrupted only to receive a punch to his arm for his troubles.

"I'm serious, Andre. I don't like when Tori gives us a bunch of pieces expecting us to just figure it out as we go along. Between her and her sister, I'd rather they both crash off the side of Carbon Canyon..."

Andre's eyes widened in shock. "Cat! That's dark, especially for you."

This did little to change her stance. "I mean it. Ever since we ditched Rockport, I've felt nothing but pure hatred for that bitch, Trina."

"I know.. You blame her for that night right?" she nodded without a word; her face covered by her hair. "What about Tori? What's your beef with her?"

Cat Valentine continued to stare at the pavement as tears welled up. "She of all people knew right from wrong and yet.." she bit her lip.

Andre was used to moments like this. He knew his girlfriend had a vulnerable side that she hid very well from others. Without fail, he wrapped his arms around her as she silently huffed into his chest. Anybody else would consider her unstable but to him, she never coped with her loss. "It's okay.." he whispered in her ear. Seconds later he could feel her breathing slow to a steady pace. "...I'm here for you."

The two just stood there in one another's embrace until the sounds of speeding cars echoed in the night. "Seems like it's time." he turned his head to find four vehicles in a dead heat. Two were from a second rate crew called the Rotors, and the third was a silver charger with a purple lotus on the hood. The couple quickly recognized it as Jade's car which prompted their curiosity even more. "If that's Jade, then who's that?" Cat asked while eyeing the stock Mitsubishi Lancer. Her heart instantly dropped as she watched the racers near the finish line. The two rotor members continued to hound the unknown driver, ramming him on both sides.

Jade shifted into the right lane as the rotor member on the left was going in for another hit. She bum-rushed the tail end and zoomed past as the driver swerved into a fire hydrant, totaling the car. "Keep going." was all she said to her partner while hitting her nitro reserves. Soon she was was neck and neck with the other two and in a stunning turn of events, hopped off of the gas and trailed behind the remaining crew member's ride. "Push into her and I'll take care of the rest. We have to time it perfectly or we'll lose."

On the rooftop of the garage, Andre and Cat watched closely to see the conclusion of this race.

They watched as one of the members crashed and were intrigued to learn the victor of this contest. Soon, they watched as the purple RX-7 began to pull away despite the heavy pressure from the Lancer. Unknown to everyone, Jade was hoping for this. Once she saw enough room, she rammed into the tail end of the Lancer. Despite the significant damage, it had a domino effect as the car crashed further into the RX-7 causing it to shift sideways until it collided with a street light effectively taking it out of the race.

"What the hell?" Andre muttered as they witnessed the wreckage. Fortunately, both the Lancer and Charger managed to cross the end of the street; the latter crossing first. "That was insane." he clenched his fists. "At least they won... I guess."

However, she didn't care about the no-name rotor drivers. Her mind was firmly on the identity of the driver in the now dented car.

Jade stepped out first and helped the other driver out of his vehicle. Although they were far up, she could still make out certain details on this guy. He was brown skin, had locs, and had the exact demeanor of someone she knew. "It couldn't be..." she whispered. "...Liam?" her voice broke a little at the idea of the man below could be someone dear to her. Andre wanted to object but it wasn't until they noticed the two hug that he too suspected the same thing.

Unfortunately, they didn't have long to ponder the idea as sirens rang in their ears. "Let's go, Cat," he called out. She turned to him, clearly upset but did as she was told. Jade and the figure they thought to be Travis had the same idea as they disappeared into the night. Cat and Andre managed to escape the area just as the Palmont police arrived to inspect the damage.

* * *

**San Juan**

Instead of going directly home, Jade led Liam to another safe house located nearby. Once inside, they left the cars there and headed back home to get some sleep. It was frustrating during that race considering the Mitsubishi Lancer didn't have nitro yet. They nearly lost but in the end, Jade's plan was just enough to squeak out the win.

"That was insane!" she hopped on his back. "The way those two crashed was wicked."

"I'm just glad we got the win," he muttered. "Although, it's also refreshing to see you light up at the sight of potential pain and suffering."

"Can't I enjoy a bit of mayhem every now and then?" she bumped hips and hopped on his back before noticing the stoic expression on this face.

Jade's good mood deflated and she hopped off of his back just as they entered the garage. She knew why he was upset and it wasn't because of the state of his car. It was still the state of his heart. Every race won brought him closer to paying Beck back for bailing him out of the situation with Cross. Unfortunately, it was a constant reminder of what he lost. He walked straight to his room unaware that Jade could read him like a book.

Surprisingly the only one besides his own brother who possessed this ability.

"Liam..." she walked him and hugged him from behind.

She could feel him slightly trembling as if he was holding in every bit of pain while giving him comfort. Somehow the two found themselves sharing his bed again. This time though, his head was resting on her lap. No words were spoken. None were needed as Jade stroked his head lovingly. There was no denying that aside from Trina, Jade was the only other woman he had an intimate relationship that allowed him to drop his defenses. "I wish I could take your pain away. You don't deserve the hell you're going through."

He then sat up and gave Jade a hug in response. "Jade, you've done so much already." his voice was a little raspy but otherwise was nearly back to normal. "I'm glad it's you that's seeing me like this. I don't think I could trust anyone else at this point."

They remained in that position for what felt like an eternity though it was only several minutes. Soon, fatigue began to set in as Jade and Liam turned away to undress. They had locked eyes again. Just like the first night, Azure and Emerald captivated each other. This time, they tried to focus on other things besides each other.

"I could always go to... my room." the pale-skinned beauty spoke up.

Turning around, Liam grinned softly. "I um... I'd rather have you stay here. You shouldn't have to sleep alone."

Now it was Jade's turn to grin as she placed her clothes on the nightstand then crawled under the covers. Liam followed suit and soon they have cuddled up once again. Neither spoke a word as sleep dragged their consciousness into a slumber filled vacation. Both knew what was happening, but at this point, was there a need to resist this? In Liam's mind, he took into account Trina's decision to be with Beck, her attitude towards him, and even how far she went to act as if he didn't exist. Maybe it was time to move on?

Jade too was conflicted. After leaving Rockport, her then-boyfriend, Ambro, and she broke off their engagement after it was discovered that he was actually involved in a terrorist cell bent on destroying certain key areas in the country. After that, she didn't bother trying to date unless it was to get a good lay. Now here she was free to explore her feeling for Liam and yet.. she felt off. Deep down inside, she liked Liam and wanted to be with him but the only thing stopping her was his connection to Trina.

_I'm so gonna kick Vega's ass if I get the chance._ she thought while turning over so that he was now spooning her. In the end, they both felt it would be best to let things progress at its own pace. Once their respective minds were made up, they finally conceded to sleep.

* * *

**Downtown**

A red 2014 Dodge Viper cruised down the nearly empty street. It was about 4 am and the curvy Latina was just eager to get out and either race or sort her thoughts out. To be honest, she preferred the former of the two. She passed by a local mini-mart in hopes that some dumb racer was eager to lose the contents in their wallet. Unfortunately, the roads were bare and Trina pulled into a vacant lot that oversaw the crystal clear lake just five miles away. She stepped out of the car and leaned her body against the custom hood. She had been taking various pills in order to calm her nerves but this time, they proved ineffective.

"I wonder... was this supposed to be, Liam?" she asked nobody in particular.

"We could very well ask you the same question."

Trina turned around to see Andre and Cat, the latter who was none too pleased to be anywhere near one of the Vega sisters.

The duo stepped towards Trina, whose nerves were truly out of wack now, only for the former to stand directly in front of her. Andre started to say something but stopped when he noticed the red-haired girl had decided to continue on towards a small gate, where she leaned against the fence. Breathing a sigh of relief, Andre took solace in the fact that his girlfriend decided to ignore Trina's existence rather than start another battle in the ongoing war between her and the sisters. Trina was so preoccupied that she forgot the dark-skinned man was mere inches from her.

"Trina, we know he's here.." Andre's voice broke her from her thoughts.

"I don't know what you're talking about.." she replied in a carefree tone. "What are you doing sneaking around anyways? Stalking much?"

Andre, who glanced over at his frustrated girlfriend, turned his attention back to Trina Vega. He knew that she was trying to remain nonchalant about the situation, but at the risk of things escalating beyond his control, he was willing to overcome his typically relaxed demeanor to get the answers he sought.

"Don't give me that bullshit, Trina!"

"A-Andre I-" she trembled from his sudden outburst of rage.

"No, you know as well as I do that you and Beck know something about Liam's appearance here in Palmont." He interjected. "You used to love the guy and yet now, here you are literally trying to hide the fact he's returned. And for what? Pleasing Beck?"

Trina could only look at the ground as Andre's words hit close to home.

"Back in Rockport, you two were damn near inseparable but now, you're acting like he doesn't exist and for what reason Trina?" He practically roared. "Now look at you... You don't even live your own life without his permission."

The look in Andre's eyes left no room for rebuttal as his words weighed heavy on the young woman's conscious. Cat had turned around at this point with interest flashing behind her eyes. The circumstances surrounding her dear friend's reappearance along with Andre's intervention were enough for her entertainment. Unfortunately, the fun would end once she watched the Latina brushing past her boyfriend. Fury began to rush through her veins at the sight of the woman she'd grown to hate literally began walking away without another word. Fortunately, she wouldn't have to do anything as Andre once again spoke up.

"Trina, at least tell us where he is... for Cat. Even you must admit that she deserves to know what's going on with one of her closest friends."

She simply froze for a moment; she was about to head into her car and drive off when she heard him call for her. To make matters worse, she turned to see the stone cold look from Andre and the surprising gaze of desperation in Cat's eyes. "Fine..." she huffed half-heartedly. "Listen, he's currently staying in the San Juan district. It's a neutral territory so here's the address." Reaching into the vehicle, Trina grabbed a pen and paper from the glove compartment and scribbled the information needed. She handed the small note to the young man and without another word, sped off into the night leaving the couple to wonder what they would expect. "1538 Payne Ave. I know that place." He took a moment to think before they hopped in their respective vehicles.

* * *

Liam wiped some oil from his forehead after changing various parts under the hood. He let out a grunt as he tried to place a new transmission in the Lancer. Across from him, Jade was working on new designs for her tattoo shop. Suddenly a thought ran through her mind; a sly grin followed soon after.

"Hey, you never told me about that tat on your arm."

She heard a powerful laugh come from under the car much to her annoyance. Her icy eyes shined with a new fire only to find him wiping off more oil from his arms and hands. A frown formed on her lips as he threw the towel over his shoulder. His eyes then trailed down to his right arm where the yakuza style wolf tattoo rested.

"Would you believe me if I said that this was my badge of honor?" His tone was a bit darker but still, he retained his smile. "Back in Rockport State Prison, I had to fight day in and day out to survive. I was alone and angry all the time. Day after day, the same routine only seemed to solidify my mundane existence." His eyes darkened and Jade could tell he was fighting with something internally. "The only thing that kept me going was getting back to… her but I guess that was time well wasted…"

Each word appeared to weigh heavier on him as he spoke. The Goth's scowl softened as he took a breath and continued. "Eventually, I ran into a prison gang and soon I was indoctrinated as a member inside the walls." He let out a forced laugh. "That's where I got this tattoo…"

He attempted to walk past but was stopped when Jade grabbed his arm. It was a good thing that the two had grown closer as the days went by or else she would've punched him for getting her to this point of intimacy. The two stared into each other's eyes for what felt like an eternity only for the gazes to be broken when a tap was heard on the garage door. Liam suppressed a low growl but nodded for Jade to answer the door. "I'll be back..." he whispered to Jade as the knocks seemed to get louder. This time, Jade herself barely suppressed a growl as she walked past his car only to hear a familiar voice.

"Hey! Jade are you in there? It's Andre!"

His response was a groan and he soon found himself the main target of her annoyance.

"What do you want?!" she asked through gritted teeth at her cowering friend.

Andre swiftly ducked behind his girlfriend who rolled her eyes before approaching Jade. The two stared at one another for a few minutes before a sigh escaped the lips of the punk girl. "Jade…" she started. "...we know he's here. Please..." Tears threatened to spill out. "…I need to see him." Ryanna watched as Jade nodded and stepped to the side, allowing the couple to enter her home. The couple looked around the garage but, despite scanning the entire room, they found that Liam was nowhere in sight. This wouldn't deter Cat though as she continued deeper into the house. Unfortunately, no matter where she looked, she just couldn't seem to locate Travis. She checked the main room, the bedrooms, and even the bathroom and yet there was no sign of him anywhere. Andre hugged his girlfriend as tears began to descend down her face while Jade just looked around confused.

"I don't get it.. he was just.."

"Hey, Jade..." Liam walked through the back door unaware of the company in his home. "...I'm about to head out for a bite. Do you want... Anything?"

Travis looked up from his phone and nearly fell out. His jaw dropped as the young woman rushed into him without a second thought. A loud thud echoed in the room as the two crashed onto the hard floor. The remaining friends decided to take their exit, allowing Cat and Travis to reconcile.

"Big brother..." she whispered amidst tears streaming down her face. "...You're really back!"

* * *

The rain crashed brutally against Tori's window as the Latina entered the bedroom of her luxury apartment, draped in only a towel. She let out a yawn as she began drying her hair. For the first time in a while, she was relieved to take some time from racing and focus on herself. She then put on her bra and panties before grabbing her favorite book. Unfortunately, her reading would be postponed as she heard a knock on her door. She rolled her eyes before getting up. She made her way through the hallway grumbling the entire time until she arrived at the front door.

"Whoever this is at the door is going to catch my wrath..."

She opened the door only to see someone she'd rather not see this night. His smile was calm and yet unnerving. His piercing gaze left her nearly petrified and his smirk sent shivers throughout her body. Despite knowing the person standing at her doorstep for so long, Tori found herself inwardly cowering from the figure before her.

"Aren't you going to let me in, sunshine?" he asked in a silky tone.

Tori trembled a moment before stepping aside, allowing the man to enter her living room. He took a moment to inspect his surroundings before hopping on the couch. His dark brown hair hid his most of his face as he turned on the television. Sounds of various voices echoed throughout the apartment while and yet the tension caused by their awkward silence towards one another. After nearly half an episode of some sitcom had passed by the time one of them even decided to speak up.

"You mind telling me what you're doing here this late at night?" Tori crossed her arms in irritation.

The young man simply chuckled.

"Tori, you know as well as I do why I'm here. Between you and your sister, I always took you for the smart one."

At that moment, she knew what was about to happen. It had been done many times before that Tori had become used to it at this point. The long nights, that dirty feeling she'd get during these nights, the awkwardness she'd feel after it was all over, it all would culminate in her nearly choking on her own vomit once she gets a good look at herself in the morning. Soon, she found herself lying on the bed with her "guest's" body draped over her naked frame. Soon she felt the ever familiar feeling of penetration but there was nothing enjoyable about this. She gasped sharply as he began to slowly thrust his hips forward until he was buried completely inside of her.

There was no pleasure.

She didn't enjoy herself in the least.

She let out moans that, while appeared pleasurable, were just sounds that came from the motions.

Fortunately, she was able to shift her mind to other things...

_It'll all be over soon..._ she mentally chanted.

* * *

The storm quickly progressed through Palmont as Andre and Jade watched the rain come crashing down on the asphalt. The two thought it best to leave Liam and Cat to catch up with one another in private. While the siblings conversed, the two best friends decided to do the same.

"So... what have you two been up to since we split?"

Andre simply chuckled bitterly to himself.

"It's been a trip, to say the least. We've been staying in the downtown region ever since we arrived here. To be honest, it's been weird since then..." Andre groaned softly before returning his gaze to the pouring rain. "Back in Rockport, we were all so close. But then Liam disappeared and everything went to hell. She became so distant and you completely went off the radar after a few months. No one's seen Robbie and, according to Beck, there's no trace of Rashad anywhere either. Tori and Trina have been working with Beck in Silverton with the latter currently dating him. I have no idea why or how that even happened."

At this point, Jade's body had tensed up as she let out a low growl that, thankfully, went unnoticed by her longtime friend. It was no secret that she and Trina never saw eye to eye, but it remained a closely guarded secret about her feelings for Liam. It was bittersweet knowing that her emotions were reciprocated only due to the unfortunate events in the past. She fought back tears as her heart sank from the realization of her greatest fear. She was opening up completely to Liam and the idea of Trina coming back and taking away the one person she loved.

Jade was pulled from her thoughts when she heard the door open behind her revealing her lover.

"Hey, Andre? Cat fell asleep not too long ago..." he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Sorry. I guess we both lost track of time."

Andre simply stood to his feet and placed a hand on Liam's shoulder.

"Don't sweat it... she deserves a good rest after reuniting with her 'big brother'." Jade allowed a smirk to grace her lips as she looked on. "I'll just pull the car into the garage and take her home."

"No." Both guys turned to look at Jade questionably. "Listen, I'm not thrilled to say this, but it wouldn't be fair to kick you too out into the oncoming storm."

"Thanks, Jade. But I'm sure we can make it home before the full brunt of the storm-"

Andre was cut off by the crashing of thunder and the flash of lightning. The already pouring rain came down so hard that it literally blocked their vision of the local pizza shop across the street with only blurred colors remaining.

"You two can take my room and I'll crash with Liam for the night." Jade retorted with a matter-of-fact tone along with her signature smirk. "Just be sure not to stain my sheets or you'll get a close and personal look at my scissor collection."

The porcelain-skinned girl hummed softly to herself as she stepped inside hers and Liams' home leaving the two to just watch her blankly.

* * *

Later in the night, the storm had let up leaving only light traces of rain along with the fading rumble of thunder every so often. The usually content and carefree Liam decided to go for a walk. He grabbed his a black sleeveless hoodie and quietly tiptoed out through the front door. As he ventured throughout the borough, he allowed himself to calmly take in his surroundings. The sounds of cars sloshing through the puddles, the rather loud conversations from a small group of drunks outside of a seedy bar, and even the cold droplets that gently touched his skin were enough for him to get lost in his thoughts. However, his thoughts would soon drag him to the dark corners of his mind.

First, he was found and confronted by former Sergeant turned bounty hunter, Cross only to wind up indebted to a former friend in Beck. If that wasn't enough, he was finally reunited with Trina only to find that she'd not only moved on but with said former friend. Tori hadn't spoken to him since helping him acquire a new ride. All of these events would culminate in him living with Jade, which turned out to be the only bright spot since arriving in Palmont up to the point of running into Andre and Cat. A small grin formed on his lips as he followed his memories of hanging out with the Goth girl. He wouldn't lie and say that there was no attraction to Jade West... They seemed to click on multiple levels and that brought him happiness that he'd thought to be long gone.

_But, there lies the issue._

He knew that his heart still loved Trina Vega but now it seemed his feelings were now split evenly with his feelings for Jade. Before becoming a couple back in Rockport, Travis would find himself at war with his mind and heart about the two. It was easy back then... He and Trina were happily together while Jade was dating someone as well. There was nothing conflicting between them due to their respective relationships but once he'd gotten to jail, he realized that while he loved the older Vega, there was another face that invaded his daily thoughts and nightly dreams. In the midst of his thoughts, Liam realized that he was in the middle of a park.

"Never thought I'd see a place like this in Palmont..." he chuckled to himself as he continued further. He adjusted his jacket and looked around the misty park. Unbeknownst to him, he was being followed. Pushing onward, Liam again became engrossed in his thoughts. This time, a vivid memory flashed clearly in his mind causing him to have a sinking feeling in his chest.

* * *

**Flashback- 1 year ago**

It was an interesting day.

Liam had just defeated the #12 Blacklist racer Taz and was racing to a location where Trina was allegedly being held.

Fortunately, all of the units hunting him were busy taking care of the crazy racer he'd left behind. He found himself parking in front of the boatyard and rushing inside. That proved to be a mistake as he was met with a solid punch to the jaw by a random thug. After picking himself up, he narrowly dodged another punch and launched a knee to the thugs gut, dropping him effectively. Pushing forward, he was met by two more thugs who immediately rushed him. He wasn't going to be caught off guard again though as the first thug swung a pipe at his head. He managed to duck the shot only to receive a sidekick that launched him into some crates.

"Damn..." he groaned.

The thug holding a pipe swung again only for Liam to kick him in the knee. He then launched a punch to the groin, dropping him. The other one was a burly guy with a scar over his right eye. Other than that, there was nothing that really set him apart from your run of the mill lackey. What was significant though was what this man was holding in his hands; a rusty biker's chain.

He took special notice of the object, registering its destructive potential before attacking. He'd have to time his movements perfectly or else he'd be suffering some severe damage. The wannabe guard scowled and made a mad dash towards him, swinging the chain straight down. Predictably, he hit nothing but the already damaged crates. Liam rolled behind him only to get sucker punched by yet another random thug bringing his opponent count to three. Spitting out a little blood, he felt himself getting more and more annoyed. 'The clown with the chain is bad enough to deal with.' he mentally grumbled. 'Now I gotta take out these jokers too?'

He received his answer in the form of the two unarmed men lunging at him from both sides. He managed to sidestep the one on his left, sending him crashing into the wooden beam spine first. The second guy proved not to be too much of an issue either as he threw several punches only to hit nothing but air. Keeping in mind the man with chain, Liam caught a left hook and pulled the now scared flunky into a flying knee that landed square on the jaw. The first thug had just gotten to his feet but only managed to catch a glimpse of a size 12 boot that became planted with his face, no doubt resulting in him needing future reconstructive surgery for what was to be expected as a broken nose and jaw.

"Two down, one to- gaahh!"

Before he could catch his breath, the burly thug had wrapped the chain around his neck. Though he was strong, his assailant was clearly dwarfing him in the power category as he was brought down to his knees from the lack of air. He scratched and clawed at the chain but only felt the links sinking deeper into his skin. Soon, he felt the sensation of unconsciousness begin to flood over him as his vision was unfocused. He dropped down to one knee as it appeared he was done for. The grunt chuckled as he enjoyed his handiwork. "I'm not stopping until I see your eyes pop out of your head."

Unfortunately, Liam didn't hear a single word as he unwillingly welcomed the darkness. As the life drained from his face, he happened to see Trina's face. Her soft brown eyes and her adorable smile brought upon a soft smile internally until the image appeared to fade. It took a moment for him to notice that only half of Trina's face was disappearing. 'What the hell is going on?' he thought to himself. Soon another image began to form on the other half of Trina's face to reveal: "Jade?" It was true as on the left side, half of Jades' face was now visible. The contrast between the two was beyond noticeable but it didn't matter at that point. The knowledge of both Trina and Jade in danger seemed to be what was needed to wake him up.

Outside of his mind, the large man had begun unraveling the chain from Liam's bleeding neck. The wound itself wasn't deep enough to cut the jugular but the lack of oxygen appeared to be enough to accomplish the kill. He smirked and walked away from the seemingly lifeless corpse. Unbeknownst to him, Liam was literally dragging his weighed down form off the cold concrete floor. He was barely able to get on his knees before coughing up a small amount of blood, alerting his attempted murderer.

"Huh.. seems you're not dead yet," he noted while cracking his large knuckles. "That's too bad..."

Even though his vision wasn't 100% clear, he could still make out the large frame of the man and launched a solid straight right to his jaw. The force, though not enough to drop him, caused the thug to stumble back. "Seems this one's still got some fire in him." With a tight fist, he cocked his left arm and swung with an immense amount of torque only to have the punch blocked by the forearms of a still wobbly Liam. The impact alone caused a shock wave of pain to surge through his body, but he still kept a grin on his face. No clever words were said as he delivered a headbutt, effectively breaking his opponent's nose in the process. Struggling to breathe, the man didn't see the next few punches and kicks before they landed on their designated targets. He threw punches blindly but only accomplished in hitting the air.

Liam was fighting on pure instinct alone as each attack connected with deliberate intent to injure. Several punches broke the jaw and orbital bone. A well-placed knee cracked a few ribs while one to the sternum knocked all the wind from his lungs. Soon the man was nothing more than a heap on the ground; blood pouring out from any means of an exit. He'd won...

Once that was confirmed, he stumbled around as he was still in the process of recovering. It took some time but the muffled sounds helped him significantly while he carefully approached one of the backrooms. Fortunately, he didn't run into any more 'guards' and opened the door slowly. Inside though wasn't Trina Vega. He saw the pale-skinned woman bound, gagged, and blindfolded in an office chair. He shut the door behind him and first removed the blindfold allowing her the ability to see again. Jade's eyes widened as her icy eyes began to focus on the weak smile of Liam who was working on untying her.

"Hey there, Ivory." he joked softly as he loosened the main knot in the ropes.

Jade quickly removed the tape from her mouth and, surprisingly, hugged her savior tightly. This was the nature of their relationship as she silently sobbed into his shoulder. He shook off the feeling of uncertainty and wrapped his arms around his friend, trying his best to comfort her. Nobody had ever seen Jade sob, not even her then-boyfriend, Ambrose who was on a separate rescue mission of his own. Feeling his warmth, Jade West soon began to calm down, though the tears still flowed freely. He didn't mind though as he managed to put her on his back and carried her out to his car. She began to panic as he set her down and clung to him tightly. While he tried to explain that he was going back to rescue Trina, she lunged at him and their lips met for the first time. It was a surreal feeling pouring through Liam's body before he pulled away. No other words were exchanged as he shut the door softly and ran back inside leaving Jade to contemplate her actions.

_What did I just do?_

_He's dating that Vega chick..._

_You're dating Ambrose, you idiot._

_How could you be so stupid?!_

Unfortunately, she never finished her mental berating as she soon found herself fast asleep only to wake up hours later in a warm bed. This wasn't her bed though... Jade took a moment to inspect her surroundings and found she was in Liam and Trina's room. She was in their bed, lying next to one Trina Vega who was sleeping soundly with her back to the Goth. A scowl formed on her lips before sliding carefully out of the bed. Once she exited the room, she found that everyone was asleep in the large garage. Everyone except for Liam...

At that time, he was at Camden Beach, enjoying some personal time knowing that everyone was safe. Especially the two young women he'd come to care deeply for. He listened to the crashing waves and attempted to get lost in the cool breeze when his phone rang. He accepted the incoming call knowing full well who it was.

"Hello?"

"Hey, tiger..."

"Jade? Shouldn't you be asleep with the others?"

"I um... I just woke up, to be honest. Besides, I could say the same about you."

He simply chuckled softly though he couldn't shake this uneasy feeling creeping up on him. Uneasy yet, enjoyable...

"Y-yeah. I just needed some fresh air after everything that happened today."

"I understand completely." Jade tried her best yet failed in hiding the sorrow in her tone. "Listen, I wanted to tell you personally: Thank you for rescuing me along with Vega."

"It's not a problem. I couldn't save one without the other, you know?"

"Well it's good to know that you still see me as important." she giggled softly, something she'd never do around anyone else.

The big picture though wasn't in their spoken words. The truly relevant parts of the conversation were hidden between the lines. Both of them figured out what the other was saying despite their dialogue being so casual.

"You know I wouldn't feel right rescuing one without the other, right Jade?" "You know I couldn't just leave you there, right? Probably just as much as I like Trina."

"I know, but it's good to have you assuring me all the same." she joked back with him. "I know and I guess like you as much as I like Ambrose too."

Liam let out a soft laugh as he made his way inside of his car. He enjoyed their personal talks and their strong friendship.

"I'll be back in a few. Get some rest in the meantime and I'll see you in the morning, Jade."

He could hear a huff from the other side of the phone before a gentle sigh. "Fine. But you owe me a friends night out too, alright?"

"Of course. There's a concert coming up at Rockport Stadium in a few weeks. We can hit that up if you'd like."

"Sounds like a plan." she smiled behind the phone before a yawn crept out.

"Good. Now get some sleep and don't kill my girlfriend." he half-joked.

"Yeah yeah... no promises."

"Goodnight, Jade."

"Night, tiger."

* * *

Back in the present day, Liam left out a sigh of frustration. He and Jade never brought up that day again but they both knew why. That was the day everything they both felt was solidified. It was apparent when he found out he was to be paired with Jade in the San Juan district, that Jade was single again. He figured that now was the perfect time to take a chance though nothing more than a kiss and cuddling came out of it.

"I'm such an idiot..." he groaned while leaning against a railing.

"So it's not just my own opinion then." a sultry voice responded, prompting his eyes to widen. "Good to see you didn't run off again."

He turned around to see none other than a scowling Jade West. Though her face signified that he wasn't in any immediate danger, though he still exercised caution. For now, he'd just let things play out in hopes that things didn't go south.

"How long have you been here?"

"Long enough to see you spaced out like an idiot. I could ask you the same question..." she retorted while resting her hands on her hips. "I figured you'd gone wandering off once I noticed you left me alone in bed."

All he could do was scratch the back of his neck nervously while trying, and failing, to suppress a blush.

"Sorry..." he looked down at the ground, unable to meet her glare. "...I just had a lot on my mind."

"You know, you don't have to find your answers alone..."

The two stopped and realized what had happened at that moment. Jade had initiated the taboo without even knowing and Travis was about to press forward though he opted to ease into it.

"I know Jade but... what if I don't like the answer? What if the answer doesn't favor any one person?"

"Liam, you've never been a genius but even you know that nothing is truly perfect and... ah to hell with this...!" Jade swallowed hard and took a deep breath. "You're an idiot!" she screamed at him. "I never wanted you to forget Trina! I only wanted to know was there still a place for me in your heart!"

Liam was stunned and broken to see Jade like this.

"I'm sorry, Jade. I didn't-"

"No! Let me finish!" at this point, a tear began to form in the corner of her eyes as she bit her bottom lip. "I know you still have feelings for Trina. Hell, it's only been a few weeks since you came into town. I never expected you to just forget about her and remove her completely from your heart. But what I want to know is..." She stopped for a moment as the tears she so desperately tried to push back, flowed like a river. The tiny droplets that fell from her cheeks glistened under the light of the moon, which had appeared through some breaks in the clouds. "Do you still feel the way you did back then? Do you actually see me as someone you could build a future with? Can you ever feel the same way for me as you do for Trina? Or is this all just a figment of my imagination?" Despite the pain in her voice, she continued. "Throughout that time, I watched in frustration as Trina had everything I could ever want. She was the one member whom everyone would cut slack for. She was pitied because of her past and being Tori's sister. I had to actually work to get what I had and yet she was just handed things on a silver platter. Then you came along and even though I wanted you then, I watched helplessly as she claimed another thing effortlessly while I just sat and watched. I hated how you defended her simply because I wanted that myself. I know it sounds selfish but... I wanted you first..."

The young man never took his gaze off of his best friend and lover. Her body was shaking almost as violently as the day he found her in that shipyard. It was time to make a decision. Without saying a word, he walked up and hugged her. His right arm rested on the small of her back while his left hand pulled her head towards his chest. "Jade. I thank you for telling me this..." he began stroking her raven hair. "To answer your questions: No.. I don't feel the same way as I did back then."

He felt her body tense up almost instantly yet he didn't loosen his grip.

"I can't feel the same way because... back then I was in a relationship and so were you. I feel much more than what I did back then Jade. I definitely see you as someone I can have a future with. The way I feel about Trina is nothing that can be explained but all the while, the same can be said about my feelings for you." She lifted her head to see his eyes moist with tears of his own. "Jade, I wish I had known about why you did and said the things you did but I can't say I blame you. You deserve to be treated with love and affection. You deserved to be protected. You absolutely deserve to be seen as the queen that you truly are in my eyes." The two stared at each other for what felt like an eternity. "I want to give you that..."

Jade simply pulled away but placed her pale hands in his chocolate palms. "Do you really mean that?" he nodded. "What does your heart say about Trina?"

"To be honest? I don't know." his gaze darkened for a split second before returning to a more relaxed look. "What I do know is that I want you Jade West. Trina is with Beck and I assume she's happy. My feelings for her then will be established and she'll always have a place in my heart. For now, though, she's not a factor in my life. When it comes down to confront those feelings, I'll handle them."

Jade smirked softly and hugged him again. "You're such a dork sometimes, you know that?"

"Hey, you like this dork though." he returned the gesture.

"No. It's much more than that."

Liam thought for a moment and smiled at what she meant.

"I like you, Jade."

"I guess I like you too, tiger."

The two then leaned in and shared a romantic kiss, their first as an official couple. However, it seemed their private moment had been observed by an unknown figure, who seemed intrigued at the events that had unfolded. Once they separated for air, the couple intertwined their fingers and made their way for home.

"That's an interesting move you made, Liam. I didn't expect you to have grown in such little time." the rather masculine voice noted before walking back into the depths of the park.

* * *

While Andre slept soundly, Cat decided to stalk in the dark to raid the fridge after using the bathroom. She smacked her lips at the sight of leftovers from various takeout joints and decided on a barely touched cheeseburger. She eagerly shoved her midnight snack in the microwave setting the timer and waiting for it to be ready for consumption when she heard a strange noise. She stopped the machine and listened intently only to hear pure silence again.

"Must've been my imagination," she muttered to herself.

Just as she was about to restart the timer, she heard it again. "What the hell?" she whispered.

She skulked around, checking the garage first only to find it was completely empty. Cat then heard it once more and without mistaking it, figured it to be moaning. Forgetting her pilfered burger, she checked every possible location before settling on one final room.

"Big brother?" Step by step, her heart began pounding harder and harder with questions pertaining to the sound. Did Jade bring someone else over? Did Liam? Every variable flashed in her mind.. all except for one. She opened the door and narrowly suppressed a gasp at what she saw. With wide eyes filled with shock, she backed away slowly only to bump into a groggy Andre.

"Babe, what are you doing up so late?" he asked/yawned.

Not a word was said, only a finger pointed in the direction of Liam ' bedroom. Cat watched as her half sleep, half confused boyfriend poked his head inside. It didn't take long for him to adopt her expression as they both shuffled back to 'their room' for the night. Neither knew what to say but agreed to touch on it in the morning. Meanwhile, a naked Jade yawned and stretched a bit before settling in again on top of Liam, nuzzling his chest. He too yawned from exhaustion but had the presence of mind to grab the comforter, pulling over their nude forms. Once he was sure that they were both warm enough, he allowed his eyelids to droop shut once more but not before saying again: "Goodnight, Jade."

The pale skinned goth simply grinned in her sleep as they both dreamed of the future that awaited them.


	5. Chapter 5

**Of Ravens & Moonlight**

**Chapter 5: All or Nothing**

* * *

**Entry 79**

**_How many more of these letters can I write before I lose my damn mind? I just... I just hate not having you around to argue or just talk with. I don't really have much to say this time, but, please be safe. I miss you, a lot. If anything were to happen to you, I don't think I could really handle _**

As the dawn ascended over the horizon, Tori was finally able to sleep as she curled up under the covers. After her encounter earlier in the night, she was just happy to finally be able to rid herself of the morbid imagery staining her mind.

Her body shook slightly as a piece of the covers grazed her back sending a chill through her body. A soft groan escaped her lips as she subconsciously tried to regain some sense of sleep after the night before. That night was filled with round after round of emotionless sex that made her feel cheap and worthless and yet, she found herself repeating the motion every single time he arrived at the door. It took a while for her to reach the point of slumber but she finally achieved her goal. It had been nearly two hours since her visitor left which assisted her in gaining peace.

Sadly, her sleep would be short-lived as the familiar, and currently annoying, chirping of her cell phone jolted her awake.

Tori felt around her nightstand until she could feel her cellular device vibrating in her palm. Her brown eyes flashed with confusion and anger as she found herself opening the main menu on her phone to see a "missed call" icon appear on the upper left corner. In an attempt to call back, she found herself again assaulted, albeit for a significantly shorter time, by the increasing volume of ringing in her ear. She swiped her thumb across the screen, prepared to give whoever was on the other line a piece of her mind.

"What do you want?" she droned.

"Sis, I need you..."

She rolled her tired eyes, running a hand through her messy hair.

"Trina, I've had a rough night and I just want one day to rest and-"

"Please, Tori! I really need you... I don't have anyone else to talk to about this to..."

After a soft groan, the younger Vega relented.

"Alright, Trina. Just give me a few hours to sleep and I'll meet up with you later in the day."

After a few moments of tense silence, Trina agreed and finally allowed her sibling to go back to sleep.

* * *

Later on in the day, Liam let out an ungodly yawn not really caring who heard him in his home. As he attempted to sit up, he felt a familiar weight on his chest that he came to recognize as a certain pale skinned beauty resting comfortably on his chest. His lips curved upwards at the sight of Jade sleeping soundly on top of him. After the events of the night before in the park, he was happy to have someone to love again. He knew his feelings were real and to know her true feelings as well only strengthened his own. He sighed softly, feeling her heartbeat.

"You are so beautiful," he whispered, his gentle tone tickling her ear.

On cue, Jade West began to stir in her sleep; her eyes fluttered open and a soft groan passed her lips. "You're so cheesy..." she teased.

"You love that about me though." he chuckled while brushing a few strands of her raven hair behind her ear. "How'd you sleep?"

Shrugging, Jade smirked and planted a soft kiss on his lips. "To be honest, it's the first time I've slept soundly without tossing and turning." Her eyes trailed down for a moment. It had been less than 24 hours since the two became official and she found her emotions running amok. She normally had a tight handle on restricting her feelings and yet here she was blushing like a little school girl with a guy she hadn't seen in three years.

_If only he were an ordinary guy... _she mused behind a well-hidden grin.

Liam took notice of her actions and, after brushing her raven hair behind her left ear, he placed a soft kiss on her lips. The two gazed at one another until a familiar, and at the moment, annoying, ring tone. He groaned and picked up the device.

**Beck**

**Job tonight.**  
**City lines outside of the Downtown district.**  
**10 sharp.**

The couple sat in silence for a few minutes, processing the reality. It had been a few weeks since he'd arrived in town and nearly once a week, Liam was summoned to either race or perform some unknown job in order to pay back his supposed debt to Beck Oliver. Some of the jobs required him to risk his life and the only things that kept him motivated were his feelings for a certain goth.

"Jade I-"

He was silenced by a finger placed on his lips. "I understand. That ass wants you to do another job for him." she noticed his eyes dart down. "Just promise me you'll be safe tonight. I couldn't stand it if you wound up hurt, or in jail, or... worse."

The pain in her voice was enough to shatter his soul. Aside from Trina, he didn't believe he could develop a connection as deep as the one he had with Trina Vega. His heart still ached at the sheer thought of her but he was more than happy to be able to love again. Jade could tell where his mind was going and her eyes blazed with anger. Not towards Travis; but firmly directed at a couple that was the cause of his conflicted feelings. To this day, nobody really knew where or when the animosity truly began, but she knew exactly where everything began with Trina. "Liam... I think it's clear that I care about you immensely." she gazed into his eyes seeing his with tears threatening to spill. "I know she's still in your heart, but I swear to you... listen to me..." Honey brown eyes locked onto her frigid orbs; empathy meeting with pain and remorse.

"Jade you don't have to say-"

"...I'm going to help you get over this. So, I want you to know that I won't forgive you if you get killed, idiot."

Before he could say anything else, Liam figured it was best if he remained silent. It was a good move, made even truer when he felt the soft touch of her ivory hands resting on his cheek. Her breath was like a cool breeze, soothing his burning soul with each quick peck. Her right hand found itself placed on his chest, just over his heart. She could feel his pulse accelerate, his body stiffening under her seductive gaze. Though it was only for a few seconds, this moment felt like it would last forever, sending her crush turned lover's senses into overdrive. Her scent was intoxicating, her touch, entrancing, he was ready to explode when finally, mercifully, their lips met. He wrapped his strong arms around Jade, a reaction to his brain finally functioning again. Just like the previous night, there was definitely something there. While there were sparks the previous night in the park, now there were full-blown fireworks.

The two continued their embrace until they both were out of breath. Jade and Travis, two friends turned lovers, lied together in bed listening to the sounds of the world outside their home.

"Thank you, Jade," he whispered.

Slitted blue eyes took in his profile with a ghost of a smile on his face.

"Promise me you'll be safe tonight."

"Jade, you know I w-"

"No, promise me... If something were to happen to you.." a perfect blend of determination and desperation silenced any ideas of trying reason with her. "If not, then don't bother coming back."

"Alright, I promise I'll come back." Satisfied, the two shared one more kiss before cuddling up closer to one another. Before she allowed herself to drift off, her ears caught the one thing that caused her heart to skip a beat. "You drive a hard bargain, Jade."

Behind the bedroom door, Andre and Cat heard the interactions between the newly formed couple before creeping away to the bedroom they slept in. The two felt very distinct emotions to what they'd witnessed moments earlier. Hearing the happiness in her brother's voice, Cat was ecstatic to know that Liam was moving on from Trina.

Andre though could feel a wave of terror stirring in his gut. He, of all people, knew that, despite the joy his friends were feeling, there would be consequences in the long run. The two weren't close to Beck and Tori anymore but they were on neutral grounds with the leader of Silverton and crossing his former best friend wasn't the best thing to do.

Looking over at the young woman he loved, Andre noticed how happy his girlfriend was. Unfortunately, he knew that he would have to bring her back to reality.

"Hey, baby?" Cat turned around, a splitting grin on her face. "I know you're happy about Jade & Liam and all, but..."

"But nothing!" she interjected carefully enough to keep her voice low enough to avoid being heard by the two. "For the first time since Rockport, my brother is happy with someone who actually cares about him. On top of that, Jade is the happiest she's ever been since leaving everything behind or did you forget how depressed she's been since the raid?"

"I know that, but Beck's changed since after Liam disappeared. He's not the same rational guy we knew back in Rockport. If he or Trina find out about this, it could be disastrous."

"I don't care..." she growled through gritted teeth. "Ever since Liam disappeared, the only thing I was worried about was his safety and his happiness after the incident. The last time I saw him, he was heartbroken beyond repair. I don't see him for what felt like forever only to find out he was sent to prison. Now, finally he's happy again and I won't allow someone to ruin that." Cat's tone, despite not having to raise her voice, held a darkness that could freeze a volcano. "Beck and Trina chose each other after my brother left and now they'll have to accept the fact that they've moved on. On top of that, I distinctly remember that damn girl going on dates with Beck not even a few months after Liam's disappearance. So, I don't give a rat's ass about how this would make either of them feel."

Andre, despite having serious reservations, nodded.

"Alright, I see your point. I guess we should let nature take its course."

Cat looked skeptically at her lover for a moment before giving him a quick hug. There wasn't much more than he felt was needed to be said so the two decided on a quick shower before leaving. They were most fortunate that Jade and Liam were heavy sleepers as they entered the bathroom. As the water ran, Cat began to strip down to nothing while admiring Andres' toned torso. As he turned around, he took immediate notice of her size 32 DD breasts and her curvaceous hips.

"Someone's clearly overdressed." she teased as her forest green eyes took in his mocha frame. She pulled down the last article of clothing, his boxers, before pulling him into the shower.

Hot water swiftly draped their bodies leaving behind crystal clear droplets. Cat couldn't resist letting out a soft moan as her boyfriend pressed his forehead to hers. Her bright skin was the perfect contrast to his own. Behind his golden brown eyes, she could visibly see the whirlpool of passion building within him. Before she could say a word, a kiss silenced her as she wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders. His lips pressed against her own as she pushed back in an attempt at dominating the moment. Her right leg soon weaved itself around the small of his back before she was pressed firmly against the tiles, directly under the rushing water.

She soon pulled away, but only for a moment in order to catch her breath. Andre's response was to latch his lips on her neck, just underneath her jawline beneath her blood red locks, marveling at her unmatched beauty. Waves of desire began to swell within them both. No longer was it just fooling around. Now it was all about the 'journey' that they've wanted to partake in for a while. "Andre." she bit her lips as his tongue gently traced down to her large breasts. "I- I mmm..."

Andre grinned internally as his mouth found itself wrapped firmly around one of her nipples. Their moments of intimacy would always develop into a sexual chess match and right now, Andre was checking her every move. Her sensitive spots were always his way of gaining the upper hand. As he gently swirled his tongue, Cat dug her nails into his back. As she raked them down his back, Andre let out an involuntary moan. She whispered something into his ear though, the water drowned out her voice. Somehow, he knew what she wanted and turned her around, but not before planting another passionate kiss. He savored the sight of her long red hair sticking to her soft skin. She looked back to see him leaning forward and then, the surprising feeling of being stretched.

"Oh my God!" she moaned as her legs buckled slightly. She was fortunate that Andre wrapped his arms and supported her as he pressed forward. Soon they were intertwined with one another as they performed the motions of tender love.

"A-Andre..."

"I know Cat..."

Her legs continued to buckle. Her eyes were rolling in the back of her head. She felt a tingling sensation burning from her gut down to her loins as her lover thrust faster and harder. His hips crashed into her firm ass. Ryanna could feel the increasing intensity of Andre grinding inside of her and clawed the wall in response. The fire only grew wilder as her moans grew louder. It was clear that Andre was the winner of this round but none of that mattered anymore. Now, he was more focused on giving her the best orgasm she's ever felt. For nearly two years, she'd been pent up and tense. Now she was loosening up and he was hell-bent on accomplishing that ultimate mission.

"Andre..." she whimpered as waves of pleasure began to hit its boiling point within her core. She wasn't going to last much longer and they both knew it. "...Please keep going..."

He was more than happy to oblige and pushed as far as he could inside her, hitting her g-spot perfectly. Her moans shifted instantly into cries and in the midst of her orgasm, she felt light-headed while slowly descending into a stupor. Turning the now cool water off, Andre smirked and slowly pulled out leaving her with the feeling of emptiness before finally succumbing to the feeling of bliss. Her legs now weak, she was grateful that Andre was there to keep her vertical as he wrapped his strong arms around her waist while being extra careful with helping out of the tub.

"Let's get you out of here before Jade wakes up and kills us for staining her bathroom," he chuckled only to here Cat's mumbling to which he simply kissed her forehead as he carried her out bridal style. "I love you too."

* * *

At the edge of town, Beck waited impatiently in his convertible, tapping his fingers impatiently on the dashboard. With his entourage parked behind him, it was just another night of business for him. The sounds of some soft rock group filled the vehicle as he scoured the area around him the general vicinity for anything that may seem suspicious; 'tis the way of a paranoid mind.

Ever since he committed the deed of setting up his former department rival, he'd always believed that karma would find her way back into his life thus his current state of mind. He always seemed to stay one step ahead of the vindictive mistress but, even he knew that his time would come and he lived each day since leaving Rockport on guard. For now, he'd keep the facade of the even-tempered crime boss and play the game with his cards held close to his chest.

Beck suddenly turned his attention toward the canyon run that made his name infamous throughout the city of Palmont. He remembered how he was rising through the ranks of the race circuit some years prior. At that point in time, he was in charge of the number one crew in the city, The Scorpions. However, he was only ranked #2 after one other driver.

Rashad.

That's right! Before the events in Rockport city, Beck knew of Rashad, and by extension, Liam years prior.

Back then, he was a plucky up and comer trying to make a name for himself while Rashad was a seasoned vet in the racing world. They both formed a group and quickly began to make waves as the co-founders of the gang. Beck was a truly gifted driver and an expert at equipping his cars with the best engines for the highest speeds. He was considered a prodigy in how to maneuver at breakneck speeds which set him apart from all challengers. All except for one... While Beck was the best in speed and acceleration, his rival, Rashad was the best all-around racer. Between the two, Beck was just a slight step behind and that is what triggered their once friendly rivalry.

However, it wasn't what set everything in motion.

In fact, it wasn't Rashad who caused Beck to go on this tirade of vengeance and need for approval. It was Rashad's younger brother who became the object of Beck's hatred.

One night.

One moment that changed everything.

It boiled the blood in his veins to even think that he was considered secondary to him. His eyes narrowed at the idea that no matter what he did, Liam was always a thorn in his side. Even after all that time, transferring to Rockport, where he was the number one racer on the Blacklist, he couldn't cleanse his soul of the stain that was his rival. The only form of solace he obtained was his control over Liam's life due to the debt he was currently paying off. Between that and having Trina by his side, he was now able to have a small level of control over the former inmate.

...For now, it was enough...

Beck was ripped from his thoughts when a pair of headlights nearly blinded him. The driver pulled in front of them and shut the lights off allowing them to see his Mitsubishi Lancer. Liam opened the door, stepping out of the vehicle wearing a black and green leather jacket. He carried a medium-sized duffle bag around his shoulders and a firm scowl on his face. Dark emerald eyes cut daggers at Beck as he stepped out of his own vehicle; the tension between them growing palpable and at times near catastrophic levels.

"What do you want, Beck?" annoyance laced his words, much to Becks surprise. "If you're looking for your money, I got it right here."

A raised eyebrow and a whistle were Beck's responses. "I'm impressed. I didn't think you'd get this much so quickly..."

"Right... call me a hustler," Travis rolled his eyes before tossing the bag to his former friend. "...Now, I no longer owe you anything..."

The venom oozing from each word didn't faze the leader of Silverton, whose granite orbs gleamed in delight at the delivery of his money.

"You're right. As of this moment, you're off the hook and you no longer owe me anything..."

"However, you owe me something."

Beck simply chuckled as he made his way to the back of his candy red Dodge Viper. Running a hand through his hair, he turned his now hardened gaze towards Travis, who countered with a glare of his own. He tossed the bag in the back seat and shut the door while contemplating Travis' claim.

"I do? ...and what exactly would you require answers to?"

Liam read the situation and soon both men found themselves drawing guns from well-hidden holsters.

The scene unfolded with both men pointing handguns at the other, amusing the city's top dog.

"I'd put that down if I were you," Beck taunted. "I can only keep my men at bay for so long. Itchy trigger fingers, right?"

"I'm not doing that. Either you call them off or I put one in your head, traitor."

"Would you really risk taking bullets just for a shot at me?" his lips curled up devilishly.

"It's one worth taking... knowing that you'd be pushing daisies alongside me is more than enough motivation for me to follow through."

Surprisingly, Liam watched the men slowly drop their firearms at the behest of Beck who did the same, leaving him as the only one with his weapon still drawn.

"I see you're not the same naive boy I helped out all those years back." Liam remained stoic as Beck's face flashed with arrogance. "I have to say, I'm actually proud to see you've grown so much from your time in Rockport State and beyond."

With his finger on the trigger, Liam could tell he was being baited. Thankfully, he kept his composure and remained stone-faced. The icy breeze didn't seem to affect the two save visible clouds of air they exhaled. The situation was escalating faster than either could've imagined but it seemed that neither man was going to back down from the other.

"Unfortunately, you're tragically under the impression that you've claimed control of the situation." Confusion set on Liam's face until his eyes widened at the sight around him. One by one, the stinging shine of headlights began to appear from the shadows of the unlit portion of the road. He found himself surrounded by more heavily armed men in flashy suits. "I applaud your efforts up to this point. I gotta say, I misjudged you..." Beck chuckled. "...you're a lot more vicious and, dare I say, sadistic than I gave you credit for. I guess your time behind bars did a number on you."

Sensing the urge to lunge at him, Liam found himself stunned when the sound of a hammer being cocked back rang in his ears. The frustrated racer rolled his eyes and scoffed before surrendering the weapon to a stereotypical cue ball thug. Once again, his life was in Beck's hands. The only thing stopping him from outright assaulting his arrogant rival was the fact that he'd be leaving Jade behind.

_Jade...! _his eyes widened slightly at the thought of the young woman whom he developed an even closer bond and his promise to her.

"Unfortunately, you had to have known that I wouldn't have come out here without multiple plans. Look, you did the final job and now you're free to get the hell out of my life. I'm giving you 24 hours to get out of town. You can keep the ride and whatever extra money you made from your races, but I want you out of Palmont tonight."

"And what if I say no?" The venom was no longer hid in his voice. "Are you going to have me executed right here?"

Beck simply lit a cigarette and took a long pull. "No. I'll have Jade killed..."

Bloodlust.

That's the feeling that overcame him as he rushed in a frenzy. More men rushed Liam before he could get his hands on Beck.

"You wouldn't dare lay a hand on her." A rage-filled Liam struggled. "I won't let you!"

Taking a few more drags from his cigarette, Beck blew smoke in the face of his smoldering rival. "You see, we both know what happened the night we were forced to leave the city. The cops were geared up to take us in for racing but something peculiar happened. The car you were driving had been mistaken for another that had drugs in the trunk, right?"

"What about it? The cops thought I was a big-time drug dealer and wanted to put me away... They never saw my face so they had no picture to identify so, once I was out of the state, I had the car scrapped for parts and bought another used vehicle until Rashad and I wound up in Olympic City. What does that have to do with anything?" he raised an eyebrow; a hurricane forming deep in his soul.

Beck smirked before heading to his car.

"Unless you want to put Jade in the same situation, I suggest you leave..."

It only took a moment for the still restrained Liam to put the pieces together. Beck had set him up all those years and he was prepared to do it again if he felt it necessary. Defeated, he knew the only choice would be to leave again. "Okay... you win," he admitted. All the rage and fury had drained from his face; left behind was a look of submission. "I'll leave. But only if I can at least see Jade before I go..." Beck's eyes narrowed with skepticism. "...I won't let what happened in Rockport occur again. I'm going to at least tell her I'm going to skip town to her face."

Suspicion was practically oozing from his pores. Beck wanted to be rid of his former friend but after a moments thought, he agreed.

"You have until sunrise. If I see or hear of you in Palmont after that, I will see to it that your blood stains the streets personally."

The two exchanged one last glare of searing hatred before Beck hopped in his car. The men refused to release him until their boss had disappeared back into the lights of the city. Only then did they relinquish their holds on him, leaving him gasping for air as they collectively drove away into the night. Within minutes, Liam was left all alone at the city lines to ponder the severity of the situation. Once again, he was going to have to leave behind someone he cared deeply for... He took a few moments to gather himself before stepping inside the car and driving back to his home.

To Jade.

* * *

Jade was wide awake chatting with a more relaxed Andre and Cat when the object of her affection came walking through the garage door. His face was unreadable, which both alarmed and worried the goth. He didn't even say a word; just walked past everyone with a blank gaze into the bedroom and then shut the door behind him. His mind was a clouded mess; thoughts of the past and possible future flooding his brain. It was enough for him to have been Beck's whipping boy but now? He and Jade finally were happy and together only to have it snatched away from him again.

"There has to be a way..." he mumbled to nobody in particular.

"A way to do what?"

His eyes shot open to see the sole person capable of drowning out his sorrows.

"Jade... I have something I need to tell you."


	6. Chapter 6

**Of Ravens & Moonlight**

**Chapter 5: All or Nothing**

**(Warning: Long Chapter!)**

* * *

**Entry 98**

**For some reason, Beck & Trina are a couple now and I don't know whether to vomit or beat both of their brains out of their insanely thick skulls! There's not much to say besides it doesn't make a lick of sense and yet, we're all forced to endure this new circle of hell. I'll hold my tongue for now only because I know you'd tell me not to lose my cool over something so trivial...**

**God, I miss you, Liam...**

**Carbon Canyon/City Lines- 1:26 a.m.**

Beck surveyed the wreckage at the foot of the canyon; his despicable smirk was made even more terrifying by the dancing flames. Brushing his fingers through his hair, a sick grin twisted by borderline insanity carved his face. It was the first time that any serious emotion was visible on his face. While the flames licked the air savagely, the King of Palmont pulled out a wallet sized photo. His cold grey eyes locked onto the picture, almost analyzing its features, then tossed it from the ledge in the fiery abyss.

"Goodbye, Liam..." his tone, cold enough to freeze the very depths of hell itself, only accentuated his unbridled glee and hatred. "...It was fun."

Soon sirens were blaring in the distance and Beck hopped in his red Viper speeding off into the night.

He managed to slip past the emergency vehicles through a seemingly blocked off tunnel. Cruising down the path with the window down, Beck could feel a weight being lifted from his shoulders. He released a sharp breath that that brought on a feeling of relaxation. He couldn't fathom this feeling washing all over his very being as he once again entered the city and headed home.

Eventually, the fire was contained by the Palmont City Fire Department and soon, the cops began their investigation of the wreckage. The 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer was mangled and charred beyond recognition save for the insignia on the grill. They worked feverishly to find any clue as to what happened, although their search appeared to produce no fruits. All that remained were the large remains of the frame, melted leather seats, and...

"Sir! We found something...!"

The others around the crime scene rushed over. What they discovered was both shocking and disturbing as some held their breaths and others struggled to keep from vomiting. One of them stuck his head inside, along with a flashlight, and inspected the remains. In the passenger seat sat the charred remains of a human being but somehow, as if by chance, the wallet barely survived.

"What do you have there?" the police chief maneuvered around the pieces of debris and checked inside only to clutch his nose in disgust. Along with the wallet, the chief noticed the body that was beyond charred, trying to keep himself from mirroring his subordinates' actions. "Call the forensic crew and have them check this out for any form of a clue that'll help us close this case."

"Yes sir!" the men recited in unison.

Throughout the early morning, while the remaining crews cleaned up, three figures watched everything unfold. Under the night sky, two souls looked on at the city below them. Winter's gaze narrowed as hatred boiled within the young woman. Knowing what had just transpired hours earlier, Jade's fist tightened before feeling a strong arm wrap around her waist.

"Will you guys be alright?" the other male asked as he lit a cigarette. His voice was thick with concern for the pair's wellbeing and health.

Between the two, a wounded Liam would be the one to respond.

"I'm just glad you showed up when you did." he winced. "I would've been the killed, had you not come when you did big bro..."

He simply smirked while taking a drag from his cigarette. "No problem. I'm glad we were able to fix things before they got worse."

"Yeah well... I have a more important question..." Jade interrupted, catching the young men's attention. "...Where are we going to stay? In case you didn't notice, the cops raided our home."

Liam could feel the demon arising once more and, despite his relaxed demeanor, he was glad it wasn't directed towards him. His reputation was centered around being fearless, however, even he respected the scissor-wielding goth. It was true, that they were raided by Palmont P.D. in a seemingly 'random' assault. But, to know why they showed they showed up in the first place was what forced them all to lose what little positivity they still clung to...

* * *

**Palmont City- San Juan District**

**11:48 pm**

Mere minutes before the raid, the couple was discussing a very private matter when suddenly they startled by the sounds of one of the doors being kicked down in the main area of the makeshift home. They rushed out to hear the ear-splitting words of armed men shouting various orders. Andre and Cat were nowhere to be found and Liam pushed his friend back into the room before foolishly rushing into the men. He tackled the lead officer and sweep kicked another on his right side. They were effectively thrown off by this sudden action and Liam knew it was all he needed to capitalize on the situation.

"Jade, run!" he roared before throwing a right hook to a third officer's groin, thus taking him out of the equation for a while. However, before he could check if his lover was alright, a large gloved fist crashed into his jaw, stunning him. With his vision blurry, the others followed up with a series of punches and kicks of their own. Travis, to his credit, blocked as many blows as he could but he would soon be bombarded by a solid kick that found its home buried in his gut. His cry of pain echoed in the hallowed room as he dropped to one knee. He wouldn't give up though and pushing through the pain, he hit a blond officer with a solid uppercut square on the jaw, sending him crashing into his fellow comrades. _That should give me some time to get out of here._

Or so he thought...

He turned his gaze to the back door to see it wide open. He could've made a break for the exit but was stopped when he felt something hard hit his back. Again he found himself kneeling only this time, he was held down by those he fought desperately against.

"Get off of me!" he yelled only to see a familiar pair of shoes. _No._ he wondered. _It can't be..._

He looked up to see the shadowed frame of none other than Beck. "What the hell are you doing here?" he snarled. He received a crunching knee to his midsection. No doubt, there was a rib crack from that blow as a considerable amount of blood poured from his mouth.

"I must say, you've been a bad boy haven't you, Liam? I would've thought you to have wised up and learned from your mistakes." Beck watched, amused that despite his adversary struggling valiantly, the men were holding him securely. A wicked smirk settled at the sight of the physically labored Liam kneeling at his feet. It was a satisfying sight to witness the man whom he held such hatred for being held in such a humiliating position at his feet.

A gasp for air.

Desperate grunts trickled past the lips of Liam.

These were what made this moment so amusing for Beck Oliver.

"It seems you still have a bit of fight left in you." his tone was cold and without emotion at this point. He nodded his head at someone who happily recognized the order. Soon Liam felt the ever so familiar feeling of a limb connecting with his body, this time his lower abdomen.

With a tiny bit of strength that he could muster, Liam chuckled in spite of the sharp knee in his back.

"What... can I say?" a defiant grin flashed. "I'm a stubborn ass."

"I see. Look's like you wanted my sloppy seconds this time around, didn't you?"

"Maybe I wanted to show her what it's like to have a real man in her life."

Crunch!

The sickening clamor of retching resonated in Becks ears like a symphony while he watched specks of blood litter the concrete floor. "I told you to get out of town by midnight and wouldn't you know it, it's after midnight. It seems whatever you were doing here was more important than your own life." Liam grunted softly as Beck grabbed his locs and pulled his head upwards so they were eye level. "Last time, it was Trina back in Rockport wasn't it? This time, it's Jade?" his tone held a mock disappointment. "See? Everything was going well before you went snooping. Things would've been simple but, tragically, you chose to make things more difficult for me. It appears I should clean up that mess, huh?"

Liam watched helplessly as the calculated Beck brandished a sleek black handgun.

Pressing it under his chin, Beck's eyes danced in hopes that the thorn in his side would beg for mercy.

This was more than pride or one-upmanship.

This was madness. Liam, though, wouldn't relent as he spat a thick glob of blood on his face and grinned defiantly. A flinching Beck glared off at nothing before wiping the sanguine spots off his face. It was infuriating knowing that no matter what he did, his 'prey' wouldn't break. "I shouldn't have expected anything less from you; always so confident and strong-willed..."

"It's one of my endearing qualities."

It seemed to be over for Liam.

He was ready to embrace death knowing that Jade would be safe...

Never relinquishing his grin, the two waited for the inevitable moment that would disconnect Liam from this world.

"Eh, if you say so." Another voice, one thick with smugness and confidence broke through the small group causing everyone to wonder who it was. "Honestly, I'd prefer a little more humility in the Liam pie."

While he tried to make sense of things, Liam would find himself saved by none other than Rashad who was now attacking the men and helping him escape his and Jade's home. Due to the extent of his injuries, they barely had enough space between them and the hired men. Liam, though he'd prefer to run, or rather limp, under his own power, found himself on his brother's back. They pushed onward to the storage garage where Jade was waiting for them.

They were later ambushed but narrowly managed to drive away after Liam flipped the light switch off, plunging the entire room in complete darkness. Unbeknownst to the officers, they'd mistaken one of their own as their intended target. While Liam and Jade sped off into the night, a Mitsubishi Lancer followed close behind them. Many of the Palmont P.D.'s forces gave chase under the direct orders of Beck Oliver. The lone officer driving the vehicle was unaware that he was the one being hunted. After weaving around through traffic and multiple boroughs, he found himself the victim of being rammed by his fellow officers. The dark road only served to hinder any ability for him to inform his partners of his identity...

In the end, he would find himself tumbling over the farthest edge of the canyon.

The rest is history...

* * *

Liam spat out a little more blood that had begun to pool in his mouth.

His condition after the ordeal left him in dire need of rest which Jade and Rashad duly noted. "We should head over to the next town and settle there until this blows over. The last thing we need is for Beck to send a squad out to hunt us down." The couple nodded and soon Jade helped her boyfriend into the passenger's side of her ride. They both slammed the doors and soon were following their savior on the seemingly limitless highway.

Liam, who was now leaning against the inner frame of the car, glanced over at an upcoming sign that told him that their destination was a ways off. This meant there was plenty of time to discuss the events that occurred. Or maybe something else entirely...

"Jade?" the way he called her name sent goosebumps down her arms. Had the current mood been different, she would've pulled over and pounced on him but sadly, she'd have to remain calm an not succumb to the sweet and calm tone of her lover's voice. She made an almost inaudible grunt, signaling to him that she was paying attention to him. "Do you blame me?"

Her face exuded complete confusion as a frown washed her face.

"What are you talking about?"

Liam could detect that he was about to enter a dangerous territory with Jade West. In another scenario, this would be a major turn on but he knew his words should be carefully selected. His throat went dry, which he found out when he tried to swallow.

"Jade, we both know it was my fault..." he dared not look at her at this point. "...ever since I came into Palmont, I've been nothing but trouble. I was brought to your home and immediately, you were once again on Beck's radar... I come into debt and in the process, cost you your home. I can only hope that Cat and Andre are alright. Tori wouldn't even help me throughout this process for some unknown reason and to top off all of this..." his eyes narrowed while his teeth looked as if they were about to crack under the grinding pressure. "...my ex-girlfriend would much rather see me drop off the face of the earth than even speak to me... face it, I'm a total lost cause..."

Without a second thought, Jade slammed on the brakes resulting in them both being jerked forward narrowly avoiding crashing into the dashboard.

His response was a sharp gasp as, thankfully, the seat belt caught his cracked ribs. The still emotional young man was about to snap only to see that unreadable face. Her blue-green eyes gazed softly at the quiet road ahead calmly.. unnervingly calm. The frown she had mere moments ago was replaced by a relaxed demeanor.

"Are you done?" she asked, her voice freezing the already tense atmosphere. Hearing no audio, she inhaled slowly. "Is that what you really think?" She turned to see the man who held her heart with his head bowed, almost defeated. Behind his untied locs, she could see the life draining from his eyes. "I asked you a question."

"Jade, you know what I-"

"No!" she interjected. "I don't know what you mean! Do you think for one second that I blame you for what happened?! I know for a fact, that Beck's been manipulative and biased ever since we all left Rockport. He would've done that to anybody who stood in his way. I can't even lie and say I didn't expect this to happen!" Liam could only watch as emotions, hidden even from him, began to pour out. The pain and suffering in his love's voice began to shatter his very being. "I know you feel like you failed everyone after what happened back then, but guess what? You didn't fail... You sacked up and set out in order to make things right. I get it, you were hoping to explain to Trina what really happened, but Beck covered that base and she won't even look at you. It just goes to show you that no matter how much you love, you can't make somebody love you..."

At this point, tears brimmed along the edges of her azure orbs.

"Andre and Cat are more than happy to see you were alive. Beck and the Vega's have made their decisions. Hell, they're in the same crew so that wasn't surprising to me..."

"But what about Rockport?" his voice betrayed him, desperation oozed from each word.

"What about Rockport?!"

"What about Robbie? What about the others? I let them down... I never got to help him."

Despite her fury, Jade's glare softened at the realization; he'd been bearing this guilt all this time. She finally let out a haggard breath before leaning towards a defeated Liam. "It's not your fault. We all knew the risk of street racing and we accepted the consequences long before you and your sister arrived in the city." Her words seemed to be falling on deaf ears as his expression was unyielding. It was as if he were a zombie... "Robbie disappeared after we were raided. Nobody knows where he went. If I were to take a guess, he took many of others somewhere else though, it is rumored that he could be lying low in Palmont... But you have to understand, that they all made their decisions to go where they felt safe. You don't need to keep beating yourself up over this. So what?"

"So what? Beck nearly killed you just to get to me!" he cried back. "Doesn't that make you wonder if I'm worth the headaches?"

Jade's face softened after hearing his words. Despite the darkness shrouding most of their features, she could easily make out the parts of him necessary.

Guilty eyes shivered slightly.

His bottom lip quivered.

The hint of tears threatening to spill over.

_He still hasn't forgiven himself..._

"But we're still here. He failed... for the first time since Rockport, he lost to you. He's tried twice to have you killed and both times you cheated death. I'm happy to know just where I am in your heart but know this.." the car began to pull off once more. "...I'm not Vega. You can treat me like a daisy all you want behind closed doors, especially the bedroom.." he signature smirk emerged. "...but remember, I'm one of the toughest bitches you've ever met."

Liam ceased his sulking to stare at Jade for a moment before letting out a soft chuckle that soon grew to a full blown laugh. Unlike other times, this was a hearty laugh that radiated sincerity and while she wanted to smack him upside the head, she couldn't help but join in. Soon the laughing duet simmered down leaving behind a genuinely smiling duo.

"You're right. Sometimes, I forget that you can take care of yourself."

Jade rolled her eyes playfully and was about to respond with something smart only to be cut off by a chirping sound.

"Hey, guys. You two alright?" Rashad's voice inquired with concern. "I looked back to see you two disappeared. Everything okay?"

They looked at one another for a second.

"Never better. Just had to work out a kink but we're trying to catch up with you," he answered.

Static rang in the car before Liam made his grand reappearance. "That's good guys. Keep going for another twenty miles and we should be in Tri-City. I'm sending the coordinates for you guys to find the main safe house. I'll be there waiting for you guys."

"Thanks. See ya there." Jade, this time, responded.

The goth kept her eyes on the road while Liam navigated for her. From that point, their conversations were much more pleasant and downright normal for them. For the first time, it was like the old days when they were the best of friends only this time, there was a strong tie of flirtation peppered in every now and then. They had their problems both individually and together, but they made a silent pact to work through them to make the other stronger. As the sun began to ascend, they both knew that no matter what, they were going to be alright.

* * *

Some time had passed since Travis & Jade managed to evade the police after faking the former's death; roughly about a year.

Once the news was confirmed, Beck was swiftly informed and his response was predictable. After catching up on some much-needed sleep, he took Trina Vega out to, an admittedly, awkward night on the town.

Trina, despite not seeing the crash, she wasn't an idiot. Unfortunately, she soon dropped the thoughts after Beck told her that police were hunting down someone and about the ultimatum he'd given her ex-boyfriend. It didn't appear out of the ordinary that he'd leave after paying his debt, considering their messy break up back in Rockport. She shrugged things off completely after a week of wining and dining.

Tori remained skeptical of the situation but, chose to let sleeping dogs lie after hearing that Jade left town as well. Andre and Cat chose to lay low back in the Downtown borough once they heard about the incident. The two were on edge for the first few months as Andre kept his longtime girlfriend at their apartment while she coped with her brother leaving again.

While she wasn't completely shut out from the world, she was rather reclusive still.

Andre always kept an eye on her to prevent her from having a meltdown by keeping her away from specific triggers, such as the Vega sisters. Add to that the reality of losing someone who she considered family after just finding them again, well... It was clear that Cat was nothing short of a fuse waiting to be lit. The couple chose to leave behind the racing scene and focus on building their own future in Palmont. After much debate, they settled on moving into the foreclosed garage that formerly housed her brother and Jade. They would rotate responsibilities for their grand opening. It was a solid plan for the most part. Cat was so determined that her resolve to succeed overshadowed her thoughts.

Tonight was the night they would see their dream become reality...

Now, a year later, Palmont City was abuzz with the sounds of roaring engines and screeching tires. The crisp night air bore no power over the men and women in attendance for the night's festivities. Tonight was the Underground Formal, the one night where any and all challenges were accepted, and the racing world was abuzz throughout the city. The streets were normally devoid of citizens around this time of night so there was complete freedom for all. While Andre and Ryanna took orders from various racers, the former's cell phone buzzed in his back pocket. He rolled his eyes once he saw the name presently on his phone.

"Beck..." he muttered just out of earshot. Sighing softly, he slid the green circle on the device to the left and answered. "Yeah, what's up?"

"I just heard that Kenji's Bushido's lost against some up and coming crew... I don't know much about them except they've been under the radar the entire time. They didn't go the traditional route, though... they just showed up out of nowhere and found Kenji and his crew by Palmont University. To make a long story short, Kenji was challenged on East Canyon and..." Andre could tell that his long-time best friend was struggling to keep his composure, which was often at this point. "...He didn't survive the drive. So, it needs to be announced that there's a new crew leading Downtown."

A swift click prompted Andre to head to the shop's P.A. system.

"Attention, everyone..." the men and women that crowded the streets turned their focus to him. "Effective immediately, Kenji is no longer the "King of Downtown". The murmurs were enough to convince him to continue. "He and his Bushido's were defeated on East Canyon to a crew only known as the 410 Royals. That's all, Y'all." Ryanna watched closely as he let out a sigh of relief knowing that he didn't screw up the message. Sure, he loved to sing to a crowd, but, public speaking wasn't his forte, to say the least. He wiped his brow before slumping into a nearby chair.

A typically stoic smiled softly at her boyfriend before returning to orders from her future customers. She knew their schedule was going to be hectic pretty soon given all the orders she was collecting. It was beginning to look bright on the horizon for them both since that night. At that moment, her thoughts drifted like driftwood in a stream. It was no secret that her brother was the sole beneficiary of her thoughts right now, though she did her best to push them back.

_He's alive._ she brushed her ruby red hair behind her ear. _I know he is._

* * *

Entering the city, a trio of drivers scouted the area while cutting down various streets. They drove in a V-formation, the one in the front scouting around for somewhere in particular. They turned a few more corners, stopping in front of a rundown strip club just on the border of the downtown district.

"Guess we're here..." a young man muttered as he observed the three candy red Vipers blocking the only means for pressing forward. In the middle stood another young man with seemingly perfect hair with two equally beautiful young ladies on either side of him. Though his face gleamed with extreme smugness, behind his eyes, an intense storm was brewing as the reality of Kenji's apparent demise began to weigh heavily on him. He continued to observe the trio as they each exited their vehicles. The first driver stepped out, a cocky smirk adorning his lips, signaling the others to follow. They made their way over to a seemingly disgruntled Beck, stopping only a few feet away. "You wanted to see us?" he crossed his arms, his mouth set in a hard line.

Despite his reservations, Beck closed the gap between himself and the new leader of the Downtown region. Bitterness oozed from his pores but he did his best to hold on to whatever composure he had left. "I'm Beck Oliver. It's a pleasure to finally meet the crew that wiped the Bushidos off the map. I commend your tenacity and view you to be a valuable ally." His mouth twitched into a half smile; his hand extended to the young man. "Welcome to Palmont..."

"Jordan Sterling, leader of the 410 Royals," he responded while accepting the gesture. "We don't aim to win. We annihilate our competition..."

His eyes revealed a dark fire that warranted respect and fear, the former of which Beck himself gave him. "As the leader of Silverton, I have complete authority over the city but you have the supreme authority of this city. You have complete control of revenue collected from races involving your crew members and bets taken in your borough. You only have to put your control on the line if a crew earns temporary control of all the smaller districts and they challenge you. If a crew manages that, then they'll have to race your crew members in a race on a course of your choice." Jordan remained quiet but continued to flash a small grin. Beck took notice of this and continued. "The Bi-annual Underground Formal is nearly over, so your claim to the crown is safe for at least two years without having to answer any open challenges. I wouldn't worry about defending that crown for some time unless..." The leader of the 410 Royals openly scowled at the somehow cocky tone Beck portrayed. "...if someone does all of those mentioned tasks successfully, then you'll have to face them in a canyon duel. It was interesting how you reacted to Kenji's 'accident' in my opinion."

"What do you mean? He's more than likely dead from when he tried to ram me." he gritted his teeth. A mixture of emotions flashed along his face. "That could've been me..."

To his amazement, and to a wave of lesser extent anger, Beck simply chuckled. Here he was contemplating whether he should take responsibility for the crash, and yet, here was Beck finding humor in the death of another man. He spared a moment to look over his shoulder at the young man and woman behind him. The former nodded softly signifying his understanding. The woman bit her lip but nodded as well.

"You and your crew don't seem to understand how this city operates. I'm sure you were told about the rules right?"

Jordan steeled his gaze. "Yeah... First one to reach the bottom would win control of the borough."

"What you don't understand is that there are two ways to first is simply to make to the bottom first." Jordan again nodded. "What you don't know is that there is a second way to win. While it is the tradition to race down the canyon and cross the finish line first, it's a bit easier to ram your opponent off the side of the road." Seeing his newest general's eyes widen brought a surge of laughter to erupt. "In fact, most canyon duels rarely result in both racers crossing the finish line."

The 410 Royals exchanged perturbed looks that soon turned into glares towards the malicious, Beck Oliver. Both sisters looked at the ground, unable to acknowledge the horrific truth being revealed. It had always been disturbing to them both, yet they never spoke up due to never having to participate in it. Eventually, Beck wiped the stray tears of humor from his eyes. Seeing Jordan and his crew's naivety was truly amusing to the "Undisputed King of Silverton". A soft smirk was all that remained from what he felt was much needed to unwind from the stressful event.

"Are we done here?"

Beck looked on at the no-nonsense expression and scoffed. "Sure... Just don't think of getting greedy and trying to take other territories for yourself." To Royal's relief, Beck Oliver bid them farewell and headed back to his own team but not before tossing a set of keys to their leader. He stared at them for a few seconds, preparing to question their purpose. "There's a refurbished auto shop in the middle of town. Behind that, stands a set of apartments. You can set up shop there if you're in need of a place to stay."

The trio didn't move from their spots until Beck and his Stacked Deck crew was long out of sight. The young woman was the first to break her stillness...

"Jordan, are you sure we can do this?" her sultry voice held the slightest edge of concern. "Tonight wasn't your fault but... can we really justify killing our competition just to retain control of territory?"

"She's right." the male stepped forward. "That megalomaniac just told you to kill if necessary. That's not what we signed up for, Jordan."

"I know Finn!" he snapped; though they could tell it more from frustration that anger. Finn looked at the man he now called brother with a worried expression as Jordan glared at the empty road ahead. "We'll just make sure nobody gets to the point of challenging us. You heard him..." his lips curved into a dark and twisted smirk. "...only a crew that takes control of every district can challenge right, Alex?" she nodded, her eyes narrowed with skepticism. "Then we just make sure no crew makes it that far... Problem solved."

The two flashed side eyed gazes at each other before smiling back.

"Sounds like a plan, buddy!" Finn brushed his fingers through his hair.

Alexandria placed a hand on Jordan's chest and softly kissed his lips. "That's why he's the leader of this crew..." she winked before walking back to her White Mitsubishi Eclipse. Finn and Jordan followed suit, heading to their gold 2008 Ford Mustang and 2013 Dodge Challenger respectively. They soon found themselves heading to their new home courtesy of some coordinates given to their hardened leader. 'This was going to be an interesting city after all.' he mused mentally.

* * *

Trina rested on her back in her king-sized bed, hoping that unconsciousness would claim her senses. Unfortunately, all she received were thoughts about her past back in Rockport. Back then, everything was so natural. Everything was so normal. So... perfect... She was, of course, thinking about the days when she was happy in Rosewood, back when everything was peaceful. She lived alone in the Petersburg district but all of that changed when he showed up...

* * *

4 Years Ago...

Petersburg

Liam pulled up behind Trina's pink/white Lamborghini Gallardo behind her personal auto shop.

The sun was nearly gone so the cold had begun to set in. As he got out he noticed that Trina was shivering so he took off his brown hoodie and attempted to wrap it around her but she had rudely rejected it calling it a 'hooded rag'. By the time he had gotten settled in on the couch outside, he had already made a clear assumption of what to expect: Pure Vanity. After all, he only seemed to catch her wearing designer Prada and Louis Vuitton outfits and Fazinni boots. He had made up his mind that she didn't like him and vice versa.

"Hey, Liam... time to eat!"

"Boy, this is gonna fun..." he pushed off of the couch and headed towards the makeshift 'kitchen' expecting a glammed up girl with an all but certainly screwed up meal but, what he saw caught him completely off guard.

Liam had just walked into something he'd never expected to see. Standing before him was a dressed down Trina wearing pink and white jogging pants and a simple T-shirt and while her hair still looked somewhat luxurious, it was done up in a slightly messy ponytail. All of her superficial make-up was nowhere in sight on her face instead replaced with a simple touch of apple scented lip gloss, and a touch of light purple eyeshadow. She turned to him noticing his aback expression and giggled as she finished pouring what appeared to be noodles into a large bowl.

"You can close your mouth now, cutie..." she smiled not taking her eyes off of the dish in front of her. "You'll catch flies that way."

Snapping back to reality, he did his best to appear upset at the apparent new nickname.

"It's just Liam..." he muttered just enough to not sound completely like a stuck up jerk.

What happened next caught him by surprise.

Trina finished stirring and walked over to him; invading his personal space.

"But I think... I like how cutie sounds... much sexier," she whispered in his ear.

Now Liam was completely vulnerable.

His heart was racing at the slightest touch she gave him. Her apple scented lips sent his thoughts spiraling out of control. He dared to look into her hazel brown eyes seeing that her face was stained pink. He never felt this way around anyone; especially a stranger. Their lips were mere millimeters apart when a small groan shook him out of the lustful fantasy that he had envisioned.

"I'm sorry..." she whispered. "I just can't do this again..."

Confusion once again settled on his face.

"Do what again?"

"Sleep with you... just to get you to stay." her trembling voice must've struck a nerve because Travis just couldn't find the heart to be upset even though he knew he would be justified in doing so.

"Why? I already agreed to stay and hear what you all wanted to talk about..."

She began to sob quietly as he wrapped his arms around her in empathy.

"J-Jade said that if I wanted you to stay with me... here... then I would have to sleep with you and 'show you a good time'..."

Liam walked her slowly to the couch and laid back letting her rest on his chest. Her sobbing had been reduced to a few sniffles and low groaning of frustration.

"Look, Trina, you're a very attractive girl and I wouldn't mind staying here with you... I was just upset that I was being separated from my baby sister... She's all I have left of my family..."

She looked up and gave him a sad smile.

"How exactly are you two related? If you don't mind me asking..."

He chuckled and kissed her forehead out of instinct.

"Well, it's a long story... One that may take all night," he warned.

"I think I have time.." she giggled as she planted a soft kiss on his cheek earning a slight tint of red to creep on his face.

* * *

**Present Day**

Trina would let out a bitter chuckle at the thought of their first night together. It wasn't much in terms of glamour or anything but it was enough. They would spend the rest of that night enjoying her delicious cooking and chatting about their past races. Once that concluded, they both went into the living room and watched movies, falling asleep on the couch in the process. She took a picture of them together and then huddled under him. Just before she fell asleep that night, she could faintly remember him wrapping an arm around her body before surrendering to drowsiness.

Despite the small smile on her face, it was evident that she wasn't happy.

Clutching her head, she couldn't stop the memories from pouring in amidst her best efforts. The dates they went on, the many times he protected her from harm, the passionate night spent with one another, it was all too much as she found herself covering her face with her 's body began to shake violently while tears ran freely down her face. There were no sounds, just evidence of the silent torture of a guilty ex-lover.

There wasn't much for her to do but endure the wrath of fate as another memory began to plague her mind.

"No..." it was the only word she could eke out.

* * *

**Rockport City- Petersburg**

"Dammit! They did it again!" Trina was bawling.

"Who did what?" A confused Liam rolled from underneath his Mitsubishi Lancer with a confused glance at the girl.

"Huh? Oh... It's nothing really." she swiftly wiped her tears and put on the best smile she could muster up.

Now standing, he walked up to her and smiled softly.

"Okay, how about we make a deal..." Trina raised an eyebrow in interest and curiosity. "You tell me what's wrong, and I'll tell you two of my darkest secrets. That way you'll have 1-up on me..." he chuckled.

Trina was now blushing profusely but nodded at him.

"Well..." she started. "Jade, Andre, and I are supposed to be the top racers in Rosewood. We represent the new Blacklist, a secret group of the top 15 most wanted racers in Rockport." she swallowed before opening her mouth again. "When this guy Razor, the former #1 was arrested, a few of my 'friends' and my sister were given the title of Blacklist racers. I was..." she choked back the tears. "...#15."

Rashad looked confused. "How in the hell are you #15? This past week I saw you literally smoke like 3 serious racers with little to no effort!"

"Well it was Jade, really..." she was in charge of assigning the ranks. "The rest is self-explanatory..."

Trina looked down, quickly averting her eyes from Liam's in shame. He could only think of what was told to him.

Blacklist.

Others like Trina.

How did he fit into all of this?

"I know what you're thinking..." He snapped out of his thoughts. "...You think I'm a joke... A possible easy girl who hides behind glamour only to be revealed as a sham... a wash-up... a-."

Her 'speech' was interrupted by the boy's lips crashing into hers.

Her mind was being blown as she kissed back. The way he held her, the gentle force of his lips on hers, the passion behind it, she was hooked. When they finally pulled apart for some air, Trina tried to make sense of all of what had just occurred.

"Wha- What was-?

"That was my first secret..." he whispered.

Nothing more needed to be said.

He directed her to the couch to which she silently followed.

However, she shook her head and led him to her room.

Within seconds, they both were completely undressed and passionately making out.

"Oh... oh my gosh! Are you sure you wanna-?"

He silenced her again with his soft lips allowing his hands to begin exploring her body as her's did the same.

Once the kiss was broken, the only thing she remembered was the three words she was told would never be told to her:

"I like you... Trina Vega..."

"I- I like... you too."

After that Trina felt herself being held tightly in his arms causing her to legitimately smile from her heart for the first time.

Back in the present, the young woman managed to crawl under the silk sheets, eager to pass out.

That last memory was more than enough to force Trina into a coma-like sleep.

* * *

"Hey, tiger..." a familiar voice rang in the young man's ears, prompting Liam to put his game on pause.

"Yeah, sweetheart?

He darted towards the front door of his apartment to find none other than his girlfriend, Jade, carrying various bags of clothes and food. It was her turn to run errands while Liam had already cleaned the place from top to bottom. While Jade enjoyed the sights of Tri-City, she didn't particularly enjoy the rotation of chores. Their two-bedroom apartment wasn't particularly the grandest, but they made due. Thanks to Liam, they were able to get their lives back on track, both as individuals and a couple. While both would still race to keep their skills sharpened, they both would grow closer and form what appeared to be an unbreakable bond.

Alone, Jade learned to channel her pain from being rejected into something positive as she also performed at one the city's local night clubs whenever she wanted some extra spending cash. It was much more stable than working back in the San Juan district.

Speaking of which, she also revealed to the two that her living there was a direct result of spite on the part of Beck Oliver, her ex-boyfriend. She explained how once the gang agreed to move, she was the only one who spoke out against Trina and Beck's sudden relationship so soon after Liam's disappearance; something she still hadn't forgiven either for.

She knew it was suspicious but risked her standing with the group. Only Cat and Andre stood by her side when things began to crumble while Tori did her best to validate the union leaving an absent Robbie who was nowhere to be found. Soon after, Beck won a four-man race to crown the new "King of Silverton" and his first order was to force Jade out of the main boroughs to avoid anymore outburst against him and Trina Vega.

Liam, the dark horse in all of this, took that heavily but used it as motivation to be better. He began working full time at an auto shop, the Den of Wolves while racing part-time alongside his wing-girl. They later began to gain a reputation while somehow keeping their identities hidden from the authorities. He, like Jade, also focused on calming his emotions, preferably anger, and later used it as fuel for his ultimate goal: Defeating Beck.

At least that WAS the goal.

After a year of living in Tri-City, Liam and Jade began to focus less on their vengeance and put their effort into finding their own destinies, preferably one where they would remain together.

Meanwhile, Rashad would come by every so often and check up on the two when he wasn't out bounty hunting in the neighboring cities.

At the moment, he watched with amusement at how close his two best friends had become over the past year since they left Palmont. He continued to upgrade the shop in any way possible to attract more customers. This proved to be an excellent idea as business was booming not too long after the two arrived. He kept a close eye on them though, making sure they didn't do anything too reckless. While he too was headstrong, they were both purely driven by emotions and pain after first arriving in town.

He did his best to help them overcome that flaw while advancing their driving proficiency to new heights. Eventually, it would pay off as the pair's talks became less about that night and more about the bright future ahead. Not bad for just a year's time, but, Rashad was no fool either. At any given moment, one or both of them could potentially relapse and start the who process all over again.

_I'll be ready should that day come..._

* * *

**Liam & Jade's apartment**

The couple quickly put the food and clothes in their proper areas before settling down for the evening. Both of them were exhausted but happy that they could relax now that the shop was closed down for the night. The pale skinned beauty huddled up closer under Liam, earning a strong arm around her form. It was amazing how they came to be.

"Jade..." he whispered/kissed her ear.

Her response was a light giggle and a playful slap to the chest.

"You know that's a sensitive area." she eked out before finding herself pulled into a bear hug. "Okay, okay! What's up, sexy?"

"Do you ever still think of the past sometimes?" his tone, though playful, still held some leftover residual.

Jade raised an eyebrow, hoping to understand the random question. "What do you mean?"

"I mean the gang, Rockport, Palmont?" She turned her gaze away and Liam knew exactly why. She only got like this when her insecurities began to creep into her mind. "I mean about Beck and setting me up to be killed..." he quickly added in a flustered voice.

While she didn't believe him at first, she looked down at the hardwood floor. Her reflection in the polished wood was a constant reminder that she wasn't the same old heartless bitch that Liam met years ago.

She needed to remain calm and be honest.

"I have to admit... I do miss living with you at our old home." Before he could comfort her further, Liam noticed his girlfriend steel her glare. "But I don't miss that arrogant jackass, Beck. He's the reason you were almost killed! He's the reason you were suffering in prison!"

Seeing her in pain, Liam simply wiped her tears with his thumb then kissed her passionately. He could feel her body tense but didn't relinquish the kiss until oxygen proved more valuable. A now flabbergasted Jade could only stare at the young man who grew from her closest friend to her boyfriend who was simply grinning from ear to ear.

"He's also responsible for us being together int he first place. Had he not caught me when he did, I'd probably be still in prison right now..."

Jade contemplated his words for a moment and smiled at his words.

This was the nature of their relationship: Balance.

Soon, they would find themselves preparing to take a nap when an unwanted ringer blared throughout their home. It was no question who was calling, only for what purpose.

Liam took it upon himself to answer.

"What's up, bro? I'm kind of in the middle of something..." he grumbled while looking over his shoulder at an impatient Jade West.

"Sorry, but I have some news about Palmont..." Liam's tone showed no signs of pleasantries. "...I received word from an insider source that Kenji was killed a few weeks ago during a canyon duel. As a result, the Bushido's are now disbanded and Downtown is under someone else's control. This is just what we've been waiting for."

Liam nodded at his friend's words but felt his stomach become uneasy at what possibilities this could bring up. "Okay, so what do we do? I don't want to jump into something without a clear agenda."

"It's simple, now that there's a new crew in power, Beck's control and trust have now been proven to be dwindling. I'll collect more information before deciding if we should act now, or wait a bit longer. I'll get in touch after two weeks with anything else I can scrape up about what's going on. But, don't worry bro... I won't pull you into anything until I'm sure things are favorable. Enjoy the rest of your night."

"Alright... Talk to you later." Liam listened to the predictable sound of his phone hanging up and set the device on the counter.

He then returned to find the gothic girl wearing one of his shirts, a black, green, and silver football jersey, that was clearly too big on her. He chuckled softly and pounced on the bed, playfully growling while Jade erupted with laughter. They continued to play wrestle for a bit before the two wound up exhausted again. By this point, Liam had somehow lost his shirt in the scuffle while Jade was happily resting her head on his chest. Just as they began to feel sleep begin to take charge, the inevitable came to pass.

"What did he say?" she whispered.

"There's been some changes in Palmont. There's a new crew controlling the Downtown Borough and it appears Beck is none too pleased." his hand stroked her raven hair lovingly. "Rashad then went on to say that we may be heading down there soon but nothing is confirmed until he returns in a couple of weeks. That gives us plenty of time to chill before we even think of going down there."

Jade wasn't pleased with that idea at all but nodded before an adorable yawn slipped past her lips.

"But," she bit her lip softly. "What if I said that I don't want to be involved with Beck or Palmont anymore?"

To say this was surprising to Liam would be an understatement as he blinked repeatedly at Jade, making her feel a little uncomfortable.

"What?" she frowned in annoyance.

"Sorry..." he shook his head. "I just wasn't expecting you to say that. Honestly, I thought you'd be excited to knock that ass down a peg."

Even Jade had to acknowledge the truth behind his statement, evident by her obviously playful eye roll.

"I think I see your point and you're right... That was me but, I like the peace of not having to look over my shoulders all of the time. Well, unless you count the occasional cop chase now and then..." she grinned seductively before letting another yawn.

Liam noticed this and pulled her curvy frame on top to which she happily obliged. She felt the warmth of their comforter being pulled over her still form and surely succumbed to the might of sleep. Liam smiled softly as she rested on top of him. Despite being over a year since they became official, he just couldn't get tired of seeing her. He placed his lips gently on her forehead before he too fell victim to the sandman's will.

_Do you know? I think I'm okay with leaving things how they are._

* * *

**4 years ago- Rockport City Police Dept.**

"Tori Vega and Robbie Shapiro?" a stern voice boomed.

The half Latina girl and Jewish boy stood up from their seat within the confines of the holding cell. Tori gripped the bars as she made eye contact with the officer in front of her. He had tan skin and somewhat unruly hair that rested under his police cap.

"Follow me..." he opened the cell door and watched as both captives walked out. "This way."

"Where are we going?" Robbie whispered as they passed several other police officers who glared back in response

"That shouldn't concern you!" The officer's voice sent a shock wave of nerves through both Robbie & Tori who thought it best to keep quiet.

After about 5 minutes of walking, they both noticed the presence of the city. The smell of hot dogs, the hustle, and bustle of the residents and businessmen and women, even the sounds of car horns blaring in the distance was enough to tell them that something was afoot.

"Okay..." the officer in question broke the silence. "...We're cleared..."

He removed the cap letting his already messy hair fall past his shoulder and pulled off the uniform top, revealing a blue Pulp Fiction T-shirt underneath.

"Wait? What's going on here?" Tori asked raising an eyebrow in skepticism.

"No time, we gotta bolt now or else it's back to the slammer for all of us!" the boy ran off towards a decked out Mitsubishi Lancer with black racing stripes. "Hop in!"

Tori and Robbie complied with little delay. Once inside, the young man zoomed out of the parking garage at nearly 100mph without hitting a single police vehicle. His expert timing and judgment were being exhibited earning a smirk from Tori.

"Well?" she teased as they suddenly flew past a garbage truck. He looked over at her trying to figure out what she meant by the simple word. "Don't I get to know my 'knight in shining armor's name?" she batted her eyelashes earning a slight tint of pink to surface on the guy's face.

"Oh... I'm um... Liam, pretty lady." he stammered as he made a sharp turn onto the highway.

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Liam..."

"Patterson?" Robbie interrupted with a look of pure shock. "You're Liam Patterson!"

"Robbie? How do you know this?" Tori raised a questionable eyebrow at the curly haired man.

"Duh, look at the tattoo under his shirt, Tori."

The Latina gazed at the left side of Liam's shirt and sure enough, there rested a wolf's paw symbol tattooed on his upper arm.

"You're a life saver!" Robbie sputtered out in a mix of joy and shock. "You were the top racer in Palmont City weren't!"

Liam could only chuckle when out of nowhere, he eyed three pursuit vehicles tailing him. With a chuckle, a nod to Robbie and a wink towards Tori, he did what he was known for... Shifting gears he zoomed past traffic, zig-zagged through rows of cars and buses only to somehow reach a dead end.

"Um... Liam?" Robbie poked his shoulder repeatedly.

"Yes... Robbie...?" he answered annoyed more than anything at this point.

"Would you mind telling us..." he sat back in a mockingly calm demeanor. "...How we are gonna get past those Heavy Rhino Units ahead of us?"

Liam turned his focus back onto the street ahead and sure enough, there were at least 6 large SUV in a double row. Spike strips were set behind the rows of units.

"Looks like the only way to go is up..." Liam allowed a wide grin to creep along his face as Tori and Robbie exchange somewhat bewildered and confused glances at each other.

Out of nowhere, another vehicle only this one was a black 67' Charger with blue rims which came to a heavy screeching halt, allowing the car to get low enough from Liam's Lancer to get on the hood and leap over the entire roadblock. Once they made it over, both cars sped off in their respective directions leaving Tori and Robbie stunned and scared straight.

"Haha, thanks for that assist!" Liam roared in a fit of laughter.

"No problem, bro!" The driver nodded. "See you at the safe house."

* * *

Liam's mind continued to wander until he felt something sturdy thunk his forehead.

"OW!" he grabbed the pained spot like a shocked child. "What was that for?"

"What were you thinking?" she crossed her arms under her ample breasts. "And don't lie..."

As if he were the cat who ate the canary, he groaned just soft enough to avoid being detected by Jade.

"I was thinking about the day I met Robbie and..."

"Tori..." Her tone, while not denoting danger, held enough of a condescending taste to warrant caution.

"Yeah," I mean it was just my brain getting caught in a dark place is all. Nothing really significant or..."

"Tiger..." she grabbed his arm, squeezing tightly. "I think I know where this is going."

Jade could tell that her beloved was conflicted right now; it was written all over his face.

Seeing him relive the night he and Trina broke up had to be eating him alive but this was no time for petty jealousy.

"Babe?" she waved a hand in his face until he began to blink rapidly. "I'm sorry for dragging back down that road." She admitted bashfully. "I understand if you don't want to know about what happened after that..."

"No..." Jade looked at him questionably. "...I want you to. I need to know what exactly went down."

"Are you absolutely sure?" he nodded without hesitation, the lost gaze now replaced by one of determination. His eyes no longer bore self-pity or sorrow but instead, a fiery determination that Jade knew all too well. Either he was putting on his tough guy act, or he was tapping into the more careless side of himself. While dangerous, Jade had to admit to herself that this part of Liam was a major turn-on for her. Unfortunately, she needed to ignore the spark in her loins and focus on the task at hands 'There'll be time for that later on.' she mentally grinned from ear to ear at the thought. "Well..."

"Just be honest, Jade. I can take it..."

"Once you left, Liam contacted everyone about your absence and we all went out to search for you." he nodded silently, giving his undivided attention. "Everyone, aside from Beck, had turned up no evidence of you. He mentioned something about your car being left on the pier yet you were nowhere to be found which raised suspicion for a little while. What started as believing you to have just gone for a walk to clear your head eventually shifted to talks of foul play which Beck swiftly dismissed as you being stubborn. As the months went by, I began to notice that he was becoming more and more friendly with Trina from comforting her to full out taking her out as his way of "helping her to move on" from the "traumatic" break up."

It was evident that Liam was growing more and more uncomfortable the more he found out but didn't so much as blink as Jade continued.

"During that time, what started as simple comforting progressed more into signs of affection. Trina grew more and more reliant on Beck to function while he grew increasingly overprotective over her." The hint of bitterness didn't go undetected, yet it remained unchecked for the time being. "Eventually, they became official as a couple which prompted other members like Phoebe and Skylar to leave. Marcus couldn't take the idea that Trina had moved on so quickly after breaking your heart and left with them."

"What about Ambrosius? Weren't you two an item back then as well?"

Jade hardened her gaze at the table. "We were... but he died or to put it blatantly, he was killed." sensing his next question, Jade raised a hand. "He decided to go back to driving with his old buddies from a nationalist group and he got killed in an altercation shortly before we settled in Palmont. I would've felt bad but, he told me how he really felt about the government and I wasn't going to let myself get caught up in some anarchist war."

"Wow... That's a lot to take in..." It was clear that like Liam earlier, Jade was emotionally affected by Beck's actions and influence on others. "Jade, I'm sorry..."

"Don't be... You didn't do anything wrong?"

"If I hadn't left, I-"

Before he could finish, Liam would find an ivory finger placed on his lips.

He lifted his eyes to see the crystals gazing back at him. Her eyes, pools of regret and shame, glistened with tears that expressed more than that. Anger. Fear. Shame. Conflicted feelings seemed to seep through her very pores. This was a rare form of Jade that only those closest to her had ever witnessed.

"I'm the one who should be apologizing. You see, what caused him to leave the gang was when he accused Beck, I didn't believe him and it drove him crazy.."

"What did he accuse Beck of?"

Jade bit her lip, refusing to look at her boyfriend only to feel his finger lift her chin gently. Behind his eyes were understanding and a warmth that she'd only seemed to feel from him. She could've sworn that her heart had skipped a beat when he smiled softly; one of her weaknesses.

"He accused Beck of betraying us and having something to do with your disappearance and..." the hesitation was all that was needed for him to realize that Jade was about to crack. It wasn't necessary for him to hear any more about such a heart-wrenching subject. Liam simply looked at the woman and took her hands into his own, his thumb rubbing against them. It was all that was needed to be said as he noticed Jade finally calming down since opening the door to the truth. Her pulse seemed to steady as she inhaled for what appeared to be for the first time in her life.

"Let's go home. We can continue this sometime down the road... For now, we have to get ready for tomorrow. Last time I checked, we have a big day of repairs and upgrades to work on." he stuck his tongue out playfully.

Before Jade could object to that idea, Liam had already his way down the street to their apartment. This didn't deter Jade West though. She quickly chased after him and decided, if she was going to have to prepare for the next day, she was going to enjoy her night first.

"You SHOULD be wondering about what I have in store for you tonight, tiger," her words tickled his ear, a weakness of his.

"And just what are you planning?" he lowered his tone several octaves, sending tingles throughout her body.

She bit her lip, sizing up the young man with her azure crystals. "Come inside and you'll find out."

Pulling away just as Liam leaned in closer, Jade made her way to the motel room, curvy hips swaying with each deliberate step. She opened the door, peering over her shoulder with a wanting behind her orbs. Despite obviously noticing this, Liam didn't jump at the bait right away, instead, following behind with a normal pace, albeit his signature grin well documented on his lips.

"You don't play fair..." he chuckled before finding himself being pulled toward the building.

"Do I ever?" she replied with a devious twinkle in her eyes, and a devilish smirk on her lips.

"If you did, it wouldn't be as fun, would it?"

"Now you're catching on, babe..." she winked before stepping inside, making sure to add an extra sway in her hips.

"Lord give me strength."


End file.
